HOUSE OF COMMONS

Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards

Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, when the Commission's media adviser first met the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

Archy Kirkwood: On Tuesday 22 January, at her request.

Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards

Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, when the Chairman of the House of Commons Commission received complaints from (a) members of the public and (b) hon. Members about the work of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

Archy Kirkwood: I understand that Mr. Speaker has received a number of letters from members of the public and from hon. Members, both in the previous Parliament and the present Parliament, about matters relating to the system of self-regulation and standards. However, so far as formal complaints to the House of Commons Commission are concerned, the position remains as set out in my reply to the hon. Member for Hull, North (Mr. McNamara), of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 331W.

Press Cuttings Service

Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Commission receives a press cuttings service.

Archy Kirkwood: No. Officials bring relevant items to the attention of the Commission as necessary.

Media Adviser

Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Media Adviser's term of appointment is for a specific period and for a known number of days.

Archy Kirkwood: The appointment is for an initial period of three months, subject to review. The number of days worked varies.

Media Adviser

Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many candidates were on the short list before Mr. John Stonborough was chosen as media adviser.

Archy Kirkwood: The House of Commons Commission considered two possible candidates before selecting Mr. Stonborough on a short-term contract to work with the House's communications adviser.

Media Adviser

Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, which persons participated in the selection process for the Commission's media adviser.

Archy Kirkwood: The selection was made by the House of Commons Commission.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Director's Pay

David Clelland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what were the total amounts paid to (a) executive directors and (b) non-executive directors in (a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99, (c) 1999–2000 and (d) 2000–01.

Nick Brown: The information is in the table.
	
		£000 
		
			 Financial year Executive directors Non-executive directors 
		
		
			 1997–98 855 25 
			 1998–99 819 41 
			 1999–2000 913 59 
			 2000–01 (1)1,192 121 
		
	
	(1) In 1999–2000 the Department decided to designate some existing senior civil service posts as Executive Directors. The costs for 2000–01 reflect these changes.

New Deal

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new deal candidates have participated in the customised job preparation programme in preparation for jobs in the Civil Service; if he will list the Government Departments for which such programmes (a) exist and (b) do not exist; and how many requests are outstanding from Government Departments and agencies for such programmes.

Nick Brown: A new deal gateway specifically designed to prepare new deal candidates for work in the Civil Service was piloted last year in Edgware, London. 16 participants completed the pilot, which led to job opportunities with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Trade and Industry. In addition, a customised new deal gateway pilot was also developed for the Benefits Agency in east London. This resulted in job offers in the agency for all 21 participants. These job preparation programmes were designed to be pilot schemes that responded directly to localised employer-led demand.
	There are no outstanding requests from Government Departments and agencies for customised gateways at present. However, given the success of the first programmes, further gateways are being considered for the Benefits Agency in London and the north-west. The Employment Service is continuing to promote the Civil Service new deal gateway and the employment of new deal clients within Departments and their agencies.

New Deal

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of participants in the new deal for young people from non-white ethnic minorities found (a) jobs and (b) sustained jobs in each year since 1997; and if he will give a breakdown by different ethnic minorities.

Nick Brown: The available information is in the table.
	
		Proportion of young people from ethnic minorities starting on the new deal for young people who had gained a job(2),(3)
		
			  1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 Black-Caribbean
			 All jobs 46 47 50 
			 Sustained 32 34 36 
			 
			 Black-African
			 All jobs 38 40 42 
			 Sustained 26 28 30 
			 
			 Black-Other
			 All jobs 46 48 50 
			 Sustained 32 34 36 
			 
			 Indian
			 All jobs 52 51 53 
			 Sustained 41 41 43 
			 
			 Pakistani
			 All jobs 45 46 47 
			 Sustained 35 35 38 
			 
			 Bangladeshi
			 All jobs 47 48 47 
			 Sustained 38 40 39 
			 
			 Chinese
			 All jobs 43 45 45 
			 Sustained 36 38 38 
			 
			 Other
			 All jobs 45 44 44 
			 Sustained 35 35 35 
			 
			 Total
			 All jobs 45 46 48 
			 Sustained 34 35 37 
		
	
	(2) Ethnicity details are not available for all participants in the new deal for young people.
	(3) Many participants leaving the new deal for young people are recorded as leaving for unknown destinations. Research has shown that over 50 per cent. of these people are actually leaving to take up employment.
	(4) Figures for 2001 are not yet available.

Jobcentre Plus

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the incident that took place at the Jobcentre Plus office at Harlesden on 18 January.

Nick Brown: holding answer 1 February 2002
	A jobseeker's allowance customer attending Harlesden Jobcentre Plus office on Friday 18 January was refused an immediate payment. Later that day he returned to the office and damaged computer equipment. Prompt action by security guards meant that the man was arrested within minutes and subsequently charged by the police.
	This was a distressing incident. However, no members of staff or other customers were physically assaulted or threatened. A further health and safety risk assessment review is being conducted and lessons learned or action recommended will be implemented.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Angola

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for what reason her Department's total aid programme for Angola has been halved over the last five years; and what resources her Department will commit to achieving the aims of the Peace Building and Civil Society in Angola report published by her Department.

Hilary Benn: Angola has been in a state of renewed conflict since the breakdown of the Lusaka Peace Protocol in 1998. It is for this reason that it has not been possible to establish a long-term partnership for the development of the country. We continue however to provide humanitarian assistance.
	Angola needs peace and the Government continue to support the United Nations sanctions against UNITA while calling for both sides to seek a peaceful solution to the conflict. My Department sees a role in encouraging the Angolan Government to use their substantial resources to alleviate the dire poverty in the country. DFID are currently funding a series of seminars on the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) process which have brought together representatives of the Government, Parliament and civil society. We welcome the recent report and are considering how best to build on our existing work on peace building with civil society.

Accountancy Services

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total cost to her Department was for accountancy services in each of the last four years.

Hilary Benn: Most of the accountancy work in DFID is carried out by our own in-house staff. We paid £100,815 for external accountancy advice in 2000–01 as part of the preparation for the CDC public-private partnership, and we have paid £17,102 to date in 2001–02 for external accountancy advice in relation to resource accounting and budgeting. These are the only costs for additional accountancy services which we can readily identify in the past four years.

Public Bodies (Chairmen)

Eric Forth: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the appointments made by her Department since 1 May 1997 of chairmen of (a) non-departmental public bodies, (b) commissions, (c) inquiries, (d) agencies and (e) task forces; and if she will list their (i) term of office, (ii) salary and (iii) known political affiliation (A) past and (B) present.

Hilary Benn: The following chairmen were appointed by my Department.
	
		(a) Non-departmental public bodies
		
			 Name Term Salary Political affiliation 
		
		
			  Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) 
			 Lord Cairns For 3 years from July 1998, but appointment cut short when CDC became a public limited company in December 1999. Lord Cairns then became chairman of the new organisation £30,000 a year No known political affiliations 
			 
			  Commonwealth Scholarship Commission 
			 Geoffrey Caston For second 3 year term from December 1999 No remuneration No known political affiliations 
			 
			  Commonwealth Scholarship Commission 
			 Ms T. Harpham For a 3 year term from December 2001 £5,000 a year No known political affiliations 
		
	
	Our remaining non-departmental public bodies have, or had, as their chairmen either Ministers or civil servants who fill the roles in an ex-officio capacity.
	(b) Commissions
	Commission on Intellectual Property Rights
	Professor John Barton. April 2001 to June 2002.
	A per diem of £500 (approximately £9,500 a year)
	No known political affiliations.
	No chairmen have been appointed to inquiries, agencies or task forces.

Free Basic Education

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to secure the abolition of education charges by 2005.

Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Banbury (Tony Baldry) on 21 January 2002, Official Report, column 604W.

Free Basic Education

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken to launch a global initiative to achieve free basic education for all; and if she will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: At the Education for All (EFA) High-Level Group meeting in Paris in October, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development made clear that the international response to the Dakar Framework for Action has been slow and has lacked effective co-ordination. She called for international action to be stepped so that we can accelerate current progress and ensure that we meet the target of quality primary education for all children by 2015. DFID's "Children out of school" paper sets out these proposals and urges much greater international energy and co-operation in taking them forward.
	Achieving universal primary education (UPE) can happen only through reform and action at country level. A key indicator of commitment is the rapid abolition of user fees and other direct cost barriers to education. Other indicators are the development of sound national education policies, closely linked to the country's poverty reduction strategies; the resources allocated to education, and specifically to primary education; and evidence of efforts to promote gender equality.
	Where countries are making these commitments, the international community must deliver the additional resources they require. We believe this is best achieved through analysis and action at the country level. The Dakar resource pledge should be incorporated into all country level negotiations on poverty reduction strategies. It will also require a change in the level of international financing to support and sustain UPE, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Development agencies and the multilateral development banks, including the World bank, must increase the resources committed to helping reforming Governments deliver UPE.
	The Government are involved in three major international initiatives focusing on implementing the commitments made at Dakar. They are: the UNESCO and the EFA High-Level Group; the World bank (which is preparing a paper for its spring meeting); and the G8 (whose education task force will report to this year's summit in Canada).

Botswana

Nick Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action her Department has taken in relation to the forced relocation of the Bushmen of the Kalahari of Botswana to New Xhade.

Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Ms Atherton) on 16 January 2002, Official Report, column 311W. Further to this, our high commissioner to Botswana met the Minister for Local Government on 22 January. He advised that the severance of essential supplies, such as water, cuts across previous assurances and will provoke criticism from the international community.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the treatment of UK citizens who have been captured in Afghanistan and held by US forces, with special reference to (a) when consular officials will have access to them, (b) when the International Committee of the Red Cross will have access to them, (c) whether they will have legal representation, (d) whether they are prisoners of war under the Geneva conventions and who made the determination as to their status and (e) whether the UK citizens will be treated in accordance with the Geneva conventions.

Ben Bradshaw: A team of British officials visited Guantanamo Bay between 17 and 20 January and saw three British detainees. We continue to investigate reports of a small number of individuals detained in Afghanistan who might be British. We are aware of two British nationals who are detained in Kandahar by the US authorities.
	The International Committee of the Red Cross have established a presence at Guantanamo Bay and their officials have access to the detainees at any time. They also have access to detainees held by the US authorities in Afghanistan.
	We have asked the US to clarify what access the detainees will have to legal representation.
	Whether any individual is a prisoner of war depends on the facts of each individual case. It is for the US as the Detaining Power in the first instance to take a view. The US authorities have said that the detainees are being treated humanely and consistently with the principles of the Geneva conventions.

Israel

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he (a) last met and (b) intends to meet the Israeli Foreign Secretary.

Jack Straw: I met the Israeli Foreign Secretary in Israel on 25 September 2001 and in Brussels on 10 December 2001. We are due to meet again on 13 February when I visit Israel.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

Road Noise Reduction

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what targets the Government have set for resurfacing the strategic road network with noise-reducing surfaces; what funding has been earmarked for this work; and what percentage of this financial year's earmarked funding has been spent to date.

John Spellar: holding answer 14 January 2002
	The Government's 10-year plan for transport tasked the Highways Agency with installing quieter surfaces on more than 60 per cent. of the motorway and trunk road network including all concrete stretches. Funding will be allocated over the period as part of the agency's roads renewals budget. This financial year, the agency plans to spend around £250 million. To date, they have spent nearly 74 per cent. (£184 million) and they expect to spend to budget.

Road Tax

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent discussions the Minister of Transport and his officials have had with their Austrian counterparts regarding Austrian road tax charges at point of entry.

John Spellar: My Department takes a close interest in developments in lorry road-user charging throughout Europe, including the scheme operated by the Austrian Government and regular discussions are held with national Administrations, including Austria.

Railtrack

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 11 December 2001, Official Report, columns 783–84W, on the company limited by guarantee as a model for Railtrack, if he will list (a) the failures of the existing regime from which lessons have been learned and (b) the tried and tested cases of companies limited by guarantee to which he refers.

John Spellar: Railtrack failed in a number of key areas. These include lack of knowledge of the company's assets, failure to manage projects and contracted-out work effectively, an inadequate skills base and a lack of customer focus.
	A company limited by guarantee is a suitable vehicle for a wide range of activities. For example, many national charities are set up as companies limited by guarantee. Companies limited by guarantee are also frequently used for the not-for-profit promotion of education, sport or commerce. Examples of companies limited by guarantee in commerce include the British Phonographic Industry Ltd., City Disputes Panel Ltd., the National Readership Surveys Ltd., British Venture Capital Association, BioIndustry Association, Lloyd's Register of Shipping Trust Corporation Ltd. and Glas Cymru Cyfyngedig.

Railtrack

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the dedicated unit within Railtrack which is aimed at identifying and more speedily addressing problems and faults with the railway infrastructure was set up; how many people are employed within the unit; and what its remit is.

Stephen Byers: holding answer 4 February 2002
	Railtrack advise that there is currently no dedicated unit as described. However, the company has identified as a priority the need to improve the management and operation of the railway infrastructure and this is currently being taken forward.

Railtrack

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of (a) public money and (b) the private finance set out in the 10-year plan for the railways is for Railtrack in administration and its successor company.

John Spellar: Railtrack in administration and its successor company will continue to receive income from grant and other sources as set out in the regulator's October 2000 periodic review and in the 2 April agreement between Government and Railtrack.

Gypsy/Traveller Camps

David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects to publish a revision of the Good Practice Guide on Managing Unauthorised Camping by gypsy and travellers; and if he will make a statement.

Sally Keeble: Work is in hand to produce a revised version of the Good Practice Guide on Managing Unauthorised Camping.

Rail Safety

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 18 December 2001, Official Report, column 225W, on the rail industry, if he will list (a) each of the health and safety issues contained in railway safety cases and (b) for each train operator the address of the premises at which railway safety cases are available for public inspection.

David Jamieson: The health and safety issues contained in railway safety cases are included in the schedules of the Railway (Safety Cases) Regulations 2000. They are: risk assessments, health and safety management systems, developing and maintaining staff competence, specifications and procedures, infrastructure, train operation, train integrity assurance and maintenance, station operation, control of contractors, incident investigation, compliance with safety cases, emergency response arrangements, safety case change control, additional criteria for infrastructure controllers.
	The address where the safety case is available for inspection can be obtained from train operators. Contact details for passenger train operators are given on the Strategic Rail Authority website at www.sra.gov.uk.

Rail Industry Group

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the members of the Strategic Rail Authority's cross- industry working group; when this group (a) first met and (b) subsequently met; what are the terms of reference of this group; and what outcomes have emerged to date as a result of the work of the group.

David Jamieson: The Rail Industry Group (RIG) was formed in early 2001 building on the successful collaborative arrangements developed following the Hatfield crash. RIG is chaired by the SRA and its membership includes senior representatives from ATOC, Railtrack, EWS, infrastructure maintenance contractors and the Rail Passengers Council. Observers from the DTLR, Office of the Rail Regulator, Health and Safety Executive and Rail Industry Association attend meetings. The group meets on an ad hoc basis depending on circumstances.
	The purpose of the RIG is to bring the SRA and industry leaders together to discuss, agree and then implement changes to Britain's railway. The work of the RIG has been wide ranging, including co-ordinating changes to the possessions regime and setting up groups to address skills shortages.
	The new chairman of the SRA, Richard Bowker, has been asked by the Secretary of State to review existing arrangements to determine if changes are needed to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

London Underground

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has received on the proposed public- private partnership for London Underground; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Transport to the hon. Member for Hexham (Mr. Atkinson) on 29 January 2002, Official Report, columns 176–77W.

Ministerial Meetings

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if (a) he and (b) other Ministers have met the Rail Regulator in the last month.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 11 December 2001, Official Report, column 789W.

Millennium Dome

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if financial responsibility for the upkeep of the millennium dome will be transferred to Meridian Delta upon completion of the contract.

Sally Keeble: Yes.

Congestion Charging

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if the Government will consider the likely net revenues of the Mayor of London's proposed congestion charging scheme against the opportunity cost of the scheme when assessing whether the spending plan represents value for money.

Sally Keeble: It is the Mayor of London's responsibility to consider the costs and benefits of the proposed congestion charging scheme before deciding whether or not to confirm the scheme order.
	My right hon. Friend will have regard to the relevant statutory requirements in deciding whether to approve the spending plan.

Congestion Charging

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what criteria he will use when assessing whether the Mayor of London's plan for spending congestion charging revenues represents value for money.

Sally Keeble: My right hon. Friend will consider the final version of the spending plan when he receives it in the light of the statutory requirements. Paragraph 16(1) of Schedule 23 to the Greater London Authority Act 1999 provides that the net proceeds of a charging scheme shall be available for "relevant transport purposes". These purposes are defined by paragraph 1 as any purpose which directly or indirectly facilitates the implementation of any policies or proposals set out in the Mayor's transport strategy. And paragraph 16(5) provides that the net proceeds of charging schemes may only be applied for purposes which provide value for money. My right hon. Friend will wish to satisfy himself that the spending plan is consistent with the Mayor's transport strategy which he has considered at an earlier stage.

Strategic Rail Plan

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations the Strategic Rail Authority has made on the achievability of the 50 per cent. target for passenger growth in the 10-year plan.

John Spellar: holding answer 4 February 2002
	The SRA has made no representations on this issue to the Department.

Strategic Rail Plan

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of the public funding for investment in the railways in the 10-year plan is uncommitted.

John Spellar: holding answer 4 February 2002
	Currently around £8.1 billion remains contractually uncommitted out of a total budget of £18.6 billion.

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the period of time elapsed is for the oldest outstanding request for information under the Data Protection Act 1998, since receipt of the (a) original request and (b) administration fee.

Alan Whitehead: In respect of (a) 97 days, and in respect of (b) 46 days. The 40-day deadline for this case is not technically due to expire for a further two weeks since the further information required by the Department to respond to it was not supplied by the applicant for some time following receipt of the original request and administration fee.

Councillors

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many (a) county, (b) district and (c) unitary councillors there are in England; and what the average amount they draw in allowances and expenses was in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Nick Raynsford: The total number of members of the following types of council in England as of May 2001 was:
	(a) County: 2,140
	(b) District: 10,715
	(c) Unitary: 2,413
	Source:
	The Municipal Yearbook, 2002 Edition
	My Department does not collect information from councils on the allowances and expenses paid to council members.
	The average allowances of council members of local authorities who have made the information available to the Improvement and Development Agency, by local authority type, as of 4 December 2001, are as follows:
	
		Average allowances -- £
		
			  Basic Leader Executive member 
		
		
			 Met district 7,380 20,737 10,155 
			 Shire county 7,548 21,701 11,643 
			 Shire district 3,122 8,454 4,466 
			 Unitary 5,273 15,426 7,732 
		
	
	Source:
	"www.idea-knowledge.gov.uk", Member Allowance Summary Survey

Colne to Skipton Railway

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will ask the Strategic Rail Authority to commission a study on the (a) feasibility and (b) benefits of re-opening the Colne to Skipton railway line.

John Spellar: The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) has no current plans to consider the possibility of re-opening this line. The relevant local authority could take forward such a study if they saw benefit in doing so. If funding for such a study were required it might be available through the SRA's Rail Passenger Partnership scheme, which has been extended to include the possibility of funding feasibility work.

Aviation Industry

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  how many meetings have taken place in the last year between (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants and representatives from the aviation industry;
	(2)  how many meetings have taken place in the last year between (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants and representatives from non-governmental organisations regarding the environmental impact of the aviation industry.

John Spellar: Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and analysis. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code and Guidance for Civil Servants: Contacts with Lobbyists. Some of these discussions take place on a confidential basis, and in order to preserve confidentiality, it is not the normal practice of Governments to release details of specific meetings with private individuals or companies.

National Parks

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether he plans to exclude national park authorities from the proposed parliamentary procedures for major infrastructure projects.

Stephen Byers: We are still consulting on the proposals contained in our document "Major Infrastructure Projects: Delivering a Fundamental Change". The closing date for comments is 22 March 2002.

National Parks

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to retain the Silkin test for major developments in national parks.

Stephen Byers: The 'Silkin test' for major developments in national parks forms part of the national guidance to local planning authorities set out in paragraph 4.5 of Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) note 7 on the Countryside. We have no plans to change this policy.

National Parks

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the arrangements for pre-planning application discussions operated by the national park authorities.

Stephen Byers: The Department has not carried out an assessment of these discussions, which are not a part of the statutory planning process. We encourage pre-application discussions between planning applicants and local planning authorities. These can help to guide applicants through the planning process, clarify what is required and help them to formulate their proposals.

Local Authority Debt

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the level of (a) on-balance sheet and (b) off-balance sheet debt for each local authority in each year since 1997.

Stephen Byers: Local authority off-balance sheet information is not collected by DTLR. Figures for local authority outstanding debt at 31 March 1997 and 31 March 2000 have been placed today in the Libraries of the House. Outstanding debt is equivalent to on-balance sheet debt. Figures for 1998 and 1999 are not available centrally. Outstanding debt for individual authorities as at 31 March 2001 will be published shortly on the DTLR website www.dtlr.gov.uk/finance/stats.
	It should be noted that authorities with high levels of debt are generally those which have undertaken capital investment and that long-term borrowing to finance capital expenditure is regulated by Government through the issue of credit approvals.

A40

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what discussions he has had with the Highways Agency regarding the de-trunking of the A40 into Cheltenham; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: The Secretary of State has asked the Highways Agency to discuss the proposed de-trunking of the A40 through Cheltenham with the relevant local authorities. These discussions are continuing.
	An announcement will be made when draft orders for the de-trunking are published.

Travel Concessions Bill

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer (ref. 33646), Official Report, column 838W, if he will estimate the cost to local authorities of implementing the Travel Concessions Bill.

Sally Keeble: The additional cost to local authorities of implementing the Travel Concessions (Eligibility) Bill in England is estimated at £50 million per year.

PRIME MINISTER

UK OECD Delegation

David Miliband: To ask the Prime Minister if he will announce the membership of the United Kingdom delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Tony Blair: I have appointed 13 representatives from the Parliament of the United Kingdom to act as the United Kingdom delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The next meeting of the Assembly will take place in Vienna on 21–22 February 2002. The delegation will consist of eight members of the Labour party, three members of the Conservative party and two members of the Liberal Democrat party. I have also appointed a number of substitute delegates.
	The appointment of Conservative and Liberal Democrat party representatives and substitutes have been made on the basis of nominations by the parties concerned.
	Representatives from the Government benches will be: the hon. Member for City of York (Hugh Bayley), the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr. Davis), the right hon. Member for Walsall, South (Mr. George) who will act as Leader, the Baroness Hilton of Eggardon, the hon. Member for Thurrock (Andrew Mackinlay), the hon. Member for Hyndburn (Mr. Pope), the hon. Member for Dundee, West (Mr. Ross) and the hon. Member for Dunfermline, West (Rachel Squire).
	Representatives from the Conservative party will be: the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Soames), the hon. Member for Esher and Walton (Mr. Taylor) and the Earl of Northesk.
	Representatives from the Liberal Democrat party will be: the right hon. and learned Member for North-East Fife (Mr. Campbell) and the hon. Member for Somerton and Frome (Mr. Heath).
	The following substitutes have been appointed to act as necessary on behalf of the delegates:
	From the Government benches the hon. Member for Rossendale and Darwen (Janet Anderson), the hon. Member for Tooting (Mr. Cox) and the Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede.
	From the Opposition benches the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Dr. Tonge).

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

InvestoSave

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on what InvestoSave bids are relevant to the rate of use of sub-post offices for electronic communication and transfer; and what progress is being made in this field.

Douglas Alexander: The Post Office is involved with three projects under the joint HM Treasury/Cabinet Office initiative, InvestoSave, namely the national geospatial data framework, the change of address project and extension of websites of Norfolk local authorities. It is too early to say to what extent work on these projects will impact on business of the sub-post office network.

Beer and Cider

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the organisations from which she has received complaints regarding short measures in the sale of beer and cider in each year since 1997, including those made in response to consultations.

Melanie Johnson: Since 1997 the following organisations have submitted complaints to the Department alleging short measures in the sale of draught beer:
	Crosby Constituency Labour party
	Hartlepool borough council
	Walsall metropolitan borough council
	City of York Environment and Development Services
	Redcar and Cleveland borough council
	CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale)—north Sussex branch
	Devon county council
	Newport borough council
	West Yorkshire Trading Standards
	Campaign for Real Ale
	Campaign for Real Ale—north Hertfordshire branch
	Metropolitan borough of Wirral
	Glasgow city council
	East Renfrewshire council
	South Ayrshire council
	Shropshire county council
	Wolverhampton Trading Standards
	Conwy county borough council
	Stoke-on-Trent council
	LACOTS (Local Authorities Co-ordinating Body on Trading Standards)
	Durham county council
	West Yorkshire Trading Standards
	Pontypridd council
	JR Hardings—Drinks, Dispense and Cooling Consultants
	Birmingham city council
	Lewisham council
	North Lincolnshire council.
	The following organisations indicated to the Department their concern about alleged short measures in the sale of draught beer and cider in response to the Department's consultation paper "Fair Measure" (issued in June 1999):
	Ulster Unionist party
	Midlands Coordinating Group on Trading Standards
	Angus council
	Scottish Metrology Liaison Group
	Southend-on-Sea borough council
	Norfolk county council
	Scottish Borders council
	Metropolitan borough of Wirral
	Argyll and Bute council
	Luton borough council
	Renfrewshire borough council
	Midlothian council
	South Ayrshire council
	Dorset county council
	Somerset county council
	Croydon council
	Birmingham city council
	Humber authorities
	ERCOTS (Eastern Region Coordinating Body on Trading Standards) Metrology SFG
	North West Metrology Panel
	Northern Counties
	Institute of Trading Standards Administration
	AGMA Metrology Panel
	South East Trading Standards Authorities
	Society of Directors of Public Protection—Wales
	Crossing The Boundaries Metrology Group
	Inner London Metrology Liaison Group
	St. Helens Metropolitan borough council
	North East Trading Standards Liaison Group
	South Yorkshire Chief Trading Standards Officer Liaison Group
	West Sussex county council
	ITSA (Institute of Trading Standards) Scottish Branch
	Lancashire county council
	Inverclyde Council Trading Standards Service
	Durham county council
	Redcar and Cleveland borough council
	West Dunbartonshire council
	Sefton council
	London borough of Sutton
	West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service
	Hertfordshire county council
	Gateshead metropolitan borough council
	Solihull metropolitan borough council
	Fife council
	Glasgow city council
	East Riding of Yorkshire
	University of Teesside
	LACOTS (Local Authorities Co-ordinating Body on Trading Standards)
	Northern Ireland Co-Op
	Co-operative Union Ltd.
	CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale).
	The following organisations indicated to the Department their concern about alleged short measures in the sale of draught beer and cider in response to the Department's consultation paper "Measures of Draught Beer and Cider" (issued in December 2000):
	Brewing, Food and Beverage Industry Suppliers Association
	Independent Society of Brewers
	Hallamshire Brewery Services Ltd.
	Campaign for Real Ale
	Campaign for Real Ale—Peterborough branch
	National Federation of Consumer Groups
	Cheshire Trading Standards
	Isle of Anglesey Trading Standards
	Surrey county council
	Merton Environmental Services
	South West England Regional Co-ordination of Trading Standards
	Durham county council
	Gwynedd council
	Worcestershire county council
	West of Scotland Metrology Group
	West Yorkshire Trading Standards
	South East Trading Standards
	Trading Standards Institute
	Unitary authorities of Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland,
	Stockton-on-Tees, and Hartlepool
	LACOTS (Local Authorities Co-ordinating Body On Trading Standards)
	Metropolitan borough of Wirral
	Food Standards Agency.

Overseas Trips

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list each of the overseas trips made by herself and other members of her Ministerial team in each of the last four years, specifying the purpose and cost of each trip.

Patricia Hewitt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 707W.

Consumer Protection

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to introduce consumer protection legislation in the next 12 months.

Melanie Johnson: We announced our intention, in the Queen's Speech, to introduce the Enterprise Bill during the current session, subject to available parliamentary time. The Bill would benefit consumers by strengthening the competition regime, introducing measures to take tough action against traders who harm consumer interest and clamping down on anti- competitive practices.

Insolvency Service

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the minister responsible for the Insolvency Service will meet with the hon. Member for Leicester, East to discuss the insolvency of BCCI.

Melanie Johnson: A letter dated 22 November offered a meeting. The hon. Member's office contacted the Department recently and a meeting has been arranged for 7 March 2002.

Enron

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the role played by (a) Enron Europe, (b) the Enron Corporation and (c) executives of those firms in the PIU Energy Review.

Brian Wilson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 689W.

Fossil Fuel Projects

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the fossil fuel energy projects that the ECGD is supporting including the (a) project name, (b) country the project is situated in, (c) the UK companies in receipt of support, (d) the type of plant and (e) start and completion dates of the projects.

Patricia Hewitt: The table lists the project name, country, UK exporter, fuel type and the ECGD guarantee issue and final loan draw-down dates of the fossil fuel energy projects for which ECGD has provided guarantees since 1997.
	In addition, ECGD has provided Overseas Investment Insurance and other insurance for 11 fossil fuel power projects with a total generating capacity of around 8,700MW. Details of these projects are commercially confidential.
	ECGD does not normally hold information on project start and completion dates, but the guarantee issue date should correspond approximately to the start of project construction and the final loan draw-down date (where applicable) should correspond to the start of operations.
	For most of the projects listed, the UK exporter is one of several contractors and ECGD is guaranteeing only part of the total project financing.
	
		Power project supported by ECGD since 1997
		
			  Project name  Goods/service provided  Country  UK company  Fuel Type  Guarantee issue date Final draw-down date 
		
		
			 Shandong Boilers China Mitsui Babcock Energy Ltd. Coal 1/5/1998 1/10/2004 
			 Bulawayo Refurbishment Zimbabwe Mitsui Babcock Energy Ltd. Coal 13/1/1998 31/12/1999 
			 Manjung Engineering and construction Malaysia Alstom Power Ltd. Coal 9/8/1999 30/8/2003 
			 Afsin-Elbistan Steel structures Turkey Corus UK Ltd. Coal 26/4/2000 31/3/2005 
			 AK Enerji 10 gas turbines Turkey Alstom Power Ltd. Gas 20/7/2000 31/5/2001 
			 Bilkent Steam turbine Turkey Allen Steam Turbines Gas 6/10/1998 30/9/1999 
			 Manzanillo Spares and services Mexico Howden Power Ltd. Gas/Coal 7/6/2000 30/9/2000 
			 St. Kitts Power Generating sets St. Kitts and Nevis Mirrlees Blackstone Ltd. Oil 21/8/1998 7/2/2000 
			 Elege Alimentos Diesel generators Brazil F. W. Wilson Ltd. Oil 11/5/1998 28/2/1999 
			 Anguilla Electricity Diesel generators Anguilla Mirrlees Blackstone Ltd. Oil 10/8/1998 15/9/1999 
			 Ghubrah Engineering and construction Oman Weir Westgarth Ltd. Oil 2/11/1999 (5)— 
			 San Pedro Engineering and construction Dominican Republic Motherwell Bridge Engineering Ltd. Oil 18/4/2000 28/2/2003 
			 Magnesita 4 diesel generating sets Brazil Man B&W Diesel Ltd. Oil 27/11/2001 30/4/2003 
			 Outer Islands Power Plant extension Indonesia Allen Power Engineering Ltd. Oil 3/12/1997 31/10/2001 
		
	
	(5) For certain ECGD insurance products a final draw-down date is not applicable

Departmental Leave Entitlement

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the average annual leave entitlement of staff in her Department in each of the last four years.

Patricia Hewitt: In the years ending 31 July average annual leave entitlement has been:
	
		
			 Year Days 
		
		
			 1998 26.9 
			 1999 27.2 
			 2000 27.6 
			 2001 28.4

Sub-Post Offices

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many sub-post offices closed between May 1997 and the latest available date in Greater London.

Patricia Hewitt: I am informed by Post Office Ltd. that for the year ending March 2001 in the London region, there were 10 net closures; to the end of December 2001, there were nine net closures. I understand from Post Office Ltd. that historic data on the post office network before the year ending March 2001 are not held on a regional basis.

Sub-Post Offices

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many sub-post offices have closed in the London borough of Hillingdon in each of the last four years.

Patricia Hewitt: I am informed by Post Office Ltd. that post office closure figures are not collated in the form requested.
	For the year ending March 2001, there were 10 net closures in the London region. Before the year ending March 2001, historic data on the post office network are not held on a regional basis.

Medical Schools

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps have been taken to ensure new medical schools receive research support money.

Patricia Hewitt: Under the £1 billion Science Research Investment Fund (SRIF), a partnership between Government and the Wellcome Trust, £675 million has already been allocated to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to fund improvements in infrastructure, such as new or refurbished buildings and new equipment. Some HEIs have deployed SRIF to support their new medical schools.
	Researchers at all medical schools and faculties of medicine are eligible to apply to the Medical Research Council for research funds. Proposals are accepted in the same way as those from any other eligible institution. The MRC welcomes high quality applications for support into any aspect of human health and these are judged in open competition with other demands on funding. Awards are made according to their scientific quality and importance to human health.
	I understand that the impact on NHS research support budgets of the new medical schools has been assessed. NHS R&D funding will be made available to NHS care organisations to defray the NHS costs that they incur in supporting eligible research generated by the schools.

Broadband

Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the publicity given to the Broadband Fund by the South-West Regional Development Agency between 8 October 2001 and 20 December 2001 in raising awareness within the private sector;
	(2)  how much funding has been provided to broadband projects in the south-west by the Broadband Fund since its announcement;
	(3)  if she will make a statement on (a) the regulations for application and (b) the application process for applicants seeking funding from the Broadband Fund.

Douglas Alexander: The Government made a well-publicised announcement on the fund on 9 October 2001, and referred inquiries to the relevant body. The UK Broadband Fund was established to support the RDAs and devolved Administrations in taking forward innovative schemes to meet local requirements for extending broadband networks. There was no 'application process', since the fund was not established to assist individual businesses.
	£3.78 million has been allocated to the South-West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA). Use of funds, along with publicity within the south-west, is a matter for SWRDA, who carry out the projects in accordance with the action plan agreed with Government and the guidance laid down in October.

Broadband

Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what part mapping of existing broadband service availability in the UK forms of her strategy for broadband deployment; to what extent mapping has been completed; and to what extent the mapping data is available in the public domain;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on deployment of broadband on a region by region basis in the UK.

Douglas Alexander: The Government have a rolling programme of research into the broadband market, including assessment of availability of broadband services across the UK. A map showing geographical availability of technologies is contained in the second annual UK Online report (http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/ukonline/ progress/anrep2001/default.htm) and has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Budget

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total running costs budget is for (a) her Department in 2001–02 and (b) the public bodies reporting to her Department.

Patricia Hewitt: The Department of Trade and Industry's Expenditure Plans Report (Cm 5112) shows, in Table B9, the total planned administration cost expenditure for the Central Department for 2001–02 is £483 million. This includes the expenditure of: ACAS, Employment Tribunal Service, Insolvency Service, British Trade International, National Weights and Measurement laboratory and Radiocommunications Executive Agency.
	Table B9 also shows the total planned administration cost expenditure for Regulators, while Table C5 shows the planned administration cost expenditure for NDPBs and together these amount to £560.6 million, excluding the ACAS total which has already been included in the central Department.

Lost/Stolen Property

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list those items valued at less than £50 each which have been stolen or lost from her Department in each of the last four years.

Patricia Hewitt: The Department of Trade and Industry's log of missing items is a mix of lost, stolen or misplaced items belonging to the Department or its work force. In the majority of cases the value of items is not recorded and it is not possible to answer this question in detail without incurring disproportionate cost.

Spectrum

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will publish the United Kingdom Spectrum Management report submitted by Professor Martin Cave.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 4 February 2002
	My right hon. Friends the Chancellor of the Exchequer and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry have just received the report. We will make a further announcement shortly.

Employment Tribunals

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in how many cases an employment tribunal awarded costs to (a) the employer and (b) the employee in each of the past five years.

Alan Johnson: The information requested is displayed in the table.
	
		Costs awarded
		
			   To applicant (employee) To respondent (employer) 
		
		
			 2000–01 80 167 
			 1999–2000 61 125 
			 1998–99 85 136 
			 1997–98 136 140 
			 1996–97 (6)— (6)— 
		
	
	(6) Due to changes to the database system of the ETS in 1996, statistics for 1996–97 are not available.
	Source:
	Employment Tribunals Service

Ispat International

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received from employees or directors of Ispat International between May 1997 and December 2001; and if she will list them by date and subject.

Brian Wilson: holding answer 4 February 2002
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry received no representations from employees or directors of Ispat International between May 1997 and December 2001.

Miners' Compensation

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many compensation claims by former miners living in (a) St. Helens, South and (b) St. Helens metropolitan authority (i) have yet to be settled and (ii) have been paid their final sum.

Patricia Hewitt: pursuant to the reply 22 January 2002, Official Report, c. 742W
	The information I gave regarding the number of settled claims for respiratory disease in St. Helens, South was unfortunately incorrect.
	The correct figure should be 69.

Food Supplements Directive

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many specialist health food (a) retailers and (b) manufacturers there are in England and Wales; what figures she has collated on turnover of these sectors in the last year for which figures are available; what assessment she has made of the impact upon the profitability of these businesses of the forthcoming EU food supplements directive; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	I am advised that there are no separate figures for retailers or manufacturers of specialist health food products as these estimates, although collected by the Office for National Statistics as part of the annual business inquiry, are combined with other specialist retailers and manufacturers.
	The Food Standards Agency, which is responsible for negotiating this directive on the Government's behalf, has consulted widely on its likely impact. There would be labelling costs falling on manufacturers of all food supplements, but these would be substantially offset by a two year transitional period. For the specialist food supplement sector and consumers of these products any additional impact would depend on future developments on lists of permitted nutrients and maximum limits.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Environmental Conservation

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what resources are being put towards teaching school children about environmental conservation; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
	Pupils' statutory entitlement to sustainable development education is supported, as are other areas of the National Curriculum, through the Government's local funding for schools. Overall, the Education Standard Spending Assessments for 2002–03 have been increased by £1.3 billion for 2002–03; the standards fund grant has been increased by almost £160 million; and the direct grant for schools by 2.75 per cent.
	The revised National Curriculum, which we introduced in September 2000, provides the framework for sustainable development education in schools. Sustainable development is specifically included in Geography and Science, together with Citizenship, which will be introduced in September this year. Pupils learn about the connections between environmental, social and economic issues and about the consequences of the choices they make for the environment and other people. We have also sponsored the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to provide online resources for teachers (available at http://www.nc.uk.net/esd/). The Environmental Action Fund (£4.2 million) is this year funding 21 projects out of 115 to advance education for sustainable development for young people, while next year education will be one of only two priorities for the fund. The Growing Schools initiative (£0.5 million), which launched in September, will promote farming and growing as an education resource.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Press Officers

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many press officers there were in her Department in each of the last four years; and what was the annual cost of their remuneration over that period.

Kim Howells: Numbers of press officers over the past four years in my Department (at 1 April in each year), and their remuneration are as follows:
	
		
			 Date Number Remuneration (£) 
		
		
			 1998 (7)9 207,619 
			 1999 8 236,150 
			 2000 9 245,039 
			 2001 8 265,631 
		
	
	(7) Includes two staff working part-time.

Departmental Expenditure

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list her Department's total expenditure by month in each financial year since 1997–98.

Kim Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 692W.

Golden Jubilee

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many Queen's Golden Jubilee Medals will be struck; to whom they will be distributed; what the total cost of this exercise will be; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The estimated requirement is for 370,000 medals. Around 185,000 will be issued to serving members of the armed forces and Royal Fleet Auxiliary with a minimum of five years' reckonable service on 6 February 2002. Around 185,000 will be issued under the same criteria to members of the emergency services accessed by dialling 999.
	The total cost to Government are estimated at £7.8 million (including the cost of the ribbon, delivery and an element for administration).

Golden Jubilee

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact of 
	(1)  recent legislation and regulations on the organising of street parties and other celebrations for the Queens' Golden Jubilee;
	(2)  the Human Rights Act 1998 on the organising of street parties and other celebrations for the Queen's Golden Jubilee.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 7 February 2002
	I can see no reason for the Human Rights Act 1998 to obstruct the organisation of street parties and other celebrations. Apart from the proposed regulatory reform order to extend licensing hours on the night of 3 June, no legislation is being enacted specifically to apply to the Golden Jubilee celebrations. I would expect those organising parties and other Jubilee events, including local authorities where street parties are being held, to consider the impact of all relevant legislation which will apply during the Jubilee celebrations as at any other time.

Golden Jubilee

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how the Government plans to mark the occasion of the Queen's Golden Jubilee.

Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Member to the announcements made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 23 November 2000 and 22 June 2001. Also relevant is the joint Home Office and Ministry of Defence press notice of 15 February 2001, in which my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced the Golden Jubilee commemorative medal.
	After taking on responsibility for the Golden Jubilee celebrations, I announced on 3 August 2001 details of the extended bank holiday 'Jubilee Weekend' over the period 1 to 4 June 2002. On 4 December 2001, I announced that the distribution of the Golden Jubilee medal had been widened beyond the armed forces and Royal Fleet Auxiliary to include the emergency services. Copies of both press notices are in the Library of the House.

DEFENCE

NATO Budget

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from the NATO Secretary General regarding NATO member contributions to the 2002 NATO budgets for (a) civil, (b) military and (c) security and investments; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: I talk regularly to the NATO Secretary General on a range of issues, including the NATO budgets. I have received no specific representations from the NATO Secretary General regarding national contributions to the two NATO budgets that are a matter for the Ministry of Defence, namely the Military Budget and NATO's Security Investment Programme. Issues concerning NATO's Civil Budget are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

RAF Aircraft Maintenance and Spares

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost was of RAF aircraft maintenance and spares on a fleet-wide basis in the last year for which figures are available.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 1 February 2002
	The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Service Personnel (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircrew in the United Kingdom forces were born in Scotland; how many are pilots of (a) combat aircraft, (b) transport aircraft and (c) helicopters by arm of the service; and how many are other aircrew, by (i) arm of service and (ii) function.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 1 February 2002
	The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Homelessness

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research his Department has commissioned into the incidence and causes of homelessness among ex-service personnel; and what recent changes he has made to policy and practice to assist ex-service personnel.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 6 February 2002
	The Ministry of Defence does not itself monitor homelessness among ex-service personnel. The Social Exclusion Unit report, published in 1998, identified that between one quarter and one fifth of rough sleepers had been in the armed forces at some stage, predominantly as national servicemen. The MOD has, therefore, been working in partnership with the Rough Sleeper's Unit (RSU) and the charitable sector to reduce some of the most acute cases of homelessness, those sleeping rough on the streets. In particular, preventative mechanisms have been put in place at pre-discharge, point of discharge and post- discharge to help the more vulnerable make a smoother transition to civilian life. Measures taken by RSU and its partners to date have reduced levels of rough sleeping by at least two-thirds in line with the Prime Minister's target and DTLR have confirmed that interim analysis of rough sleeping data collected in November 2001 shows that the percentage of rough sleepers with an armed forces background has decreased markedly since the 1998 SEU report. We welcome this as evidence of what is being achieved through closer co-operation within Government and with the voluntary sector.
	We recognise that there is further work to be done in this area and, in particular, as part of the Veterans' Initiative, are looking at how we can improve resettlement arrangements for the most vulnerable service leavers. This would include addressing the risk of homelessness.

Service Women

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what duties have been extended to women members of each service since 1997; and what has been the cost of implementing those extensions.

Adam Ingram: From April 1998, all posts in the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers and Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers were opened to women. From July that year, some 1,300 specialist posts attached to the Royal Marines were also opened to women. No costs associated with these extensions are identifiable.

Tomahawk Cruise Missile

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on joint-design work between the Royal Navy and the US Navy on the torpedo tube-launched Tomahawk cruise missile; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The Block IIIC Tomahawk missiles currently in service with the Royal Navy are launched from submarine torpedo tubes. The next generation, Tactical Tomahawk Block IV, missile is currently designed for vertical launch only. Jointly funded UK-US studies to assess the feasibility of launching the Block IV missile from submarine torpedo tubes have been successfully completed, and further development work is planned to start later this year, subject to completion of contractual negotiations.

Spearfish Torpedo

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in upgrading the Royal Navy's Spearfish torpedo; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: Spearfish is currently in the process of replacing Tigerfish as the Royal Navy's Heavy Weight Torpedo. Contracts for Concept work for a Mid Life Update of the Spearfish torpedo have been placed with QinetiQ and BAE Systems Electronics Ltd. Underwater Weapons Division, Waterlooville. The contracts have been let progressively from November 1998 and work is on-going.

Manpower

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the manpower of each service was in each year since 1997; and how many vacancies were reported.

Adam Ingram: The manpower strength of each of the services since 1 April 1997 and the surplus/deficit against the trained requirement are as follows.
	
		UK full-time personnel: UK Regulars, FTRS(8) and Gurkhas
		
			  1 April 1997 1 April 1998 1 April 1999  
			 Service Trained strength Surplus/(deficit) Trained strength Surplus/(deficit) Trained strength Surplus/(deficit) 
		
		
			 All services 197,390 -8,325 193,914 -8,025 190,506 -8,732 
			 Naval Service   
			 Total 41,680 -1,231 40,356 -1,581 39,071 -1,872 
			 UK Regulars — — — — — — 
			 FTRS — — — — — — 
			
			 Army   
			 Total 101,514 -4,845 100,881 -4,594 99,674 -5,597 
			 UK Regulars 97,756 -5,597 97,452 -5,080 96,300 -6,089 
			 FTRS — — — — — — 
			 Gurkhas 3,758 752 3,429 586 3,374 492 
			
			 Royal Air Force   
			 Total 54,196 -2,249 52,677 -1,850 51,761 -1,263 
			 UK Regulars — — — — — — 
			 FTRS — — — — — — 
		
	
	
		UK full-time personnel: UK Regulars, FTRS(8) and Gurkhas
		
			  1 April 2000 1 April 2001 1 January 2002  
			 Service Trained strength Surplus/(deficit) Trained strength Surplus/(deficit) Trained strength Surplus/(deficit) 
		
		
			 All services 190,419 -8,000 189,026 -9,438 187,789 -9,397 
			 Naval Service   
			 Total 38,877 -986 38,539 -1,358 37,578 -2,189 
			 UK Regulars 38,535 -1,328 38,023 -1,874 36,930 -2,837 
			 FTRS 342 342 516 516 648 648 
			
			 Army   
			 Total 100,334 -6,062 100,381 -6,592 100,914 -6,059 
			 UK Regulars 96,475 -6,611 96,285 -7,641 96,373 -7,553 
			 FTRS 486 486 646 646 919 919 
			 Gurkhas 3,373 63 3,450 403 3,622 575 
			
			 Royal Air Force   
			 Total 51,208 -952 50,106 -1,488 49,297 -1,149 
			 UK Regulars 50,993 -903 49,847 -1,517 48,995 -1,186 
			 FTRS 215 -49 259 29 302 37 
		
	
	(8) FTRS: Full Time Reserve Service, ie for Naval Service and Army FTRS individuals serve in vacant regular posts and there is therefore no separate requirement for these. RAF FTRS strength figures comprise Full Commitment (FC), Limited Commitment (LC) and Home Commitment (HC). FC individuals in the RAF serve in vacant regular posts, whereas LC and HC establishments are shown as a separate requirement.
	Note:
	Figures are for UK Full Time Personnel and therefore exclude the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment, mobilised reservists, Gibraltar Permanent Cadre and Naval Activated Reservists.

Taliban and al-Qaeda Prisoners

Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Taliban and al-Qaeda prisoners taken by allied Afghan forces subsequently escaped from Afghanistan to Pakistan; by what means; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: I have been asked to reply.
	No firm information is available as the situation on the ground is very difficult. HMG take seriously the need to prevent escaped fighters from pursuing terrorist activities.

TREASURY

Advance Corporation Tax Relief

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact which the abolition of advance corporation tax relief has had on the annual savings gap of £27 billion between what people need to save and what they actually save for their retirement outlined in FSA Consultation Paper 121, paragraph 3.54.

Andrew Smith: The Government recognise the importance to individuals of saving, including as a way of providing comfort in retirement. The Government's strategy for encouraging more people to save is set out in "Helping People to Save", published in November 2000. The Government monitor closely developments in the savings market.
	Consumers should benefit from increased choice under the FSA proposals.

Financial Products

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to limit the amount of product provided through an intermediary by a shareholder in that intermediary as part of the implementation of the proposal for abolishing limits on product-provider investment in FSA Consultation Paper 121.

Andrew Smith: This is an issue which is addressed in FSA Consultation Paper 121, in particular paragraphs 4.41 to 4.46.

Polarisation

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what impact he forecasts the abolition of polarisation will have on long-term trends in the savings ratio.

Andrew Smith: The polarisation proposals are designed to ensure increased choice and competition for consumers in the tied market for packaged investment products.

Polarisation

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what measures he will consider using to ensure that abolishing polarisation does not lead to a strengthening of the position in the marketplace of larger tied distributors of financial products such that there are adverse consequences for competition;
	(2)  what measures he will consider using to ensure that the abolition of polarisation does not result in major tied distributors operating commission bias in the provision of packaged products.

Andrew Smith: This is an issue which is addressed in FSA Consultation Paper 121, in particular paragraphs 4.22 to 4.28, and in the proposals for enhanced disclosure in Part 5.

Polarisation

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from consumers' representatives regarding FSA Consultation Paper 121 on the impact on the interests of consumers arising from a consolidation in the position of larger tied financial distributors as a result of the abolition of polarisation.

Andrew Smith: None.

Polarisation

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many IFAs are registered as operating in the UK; and what he estimates will be the number in operation five years after abolishing polarisation.

Andrew Smith: 6,018 IFA firms were individually "grandfathered" into the FSA at 1 December 2001, of which 4,692 had previously been regulated by the Personal Investment Authority and 1,416 were regulated by recognised professional bodies. In addition, there are about 6,500 appointed representative IFA businesses that are mainly members of the larger IFA networks. At the same time (in the run up to N2) 32,181 registered individuals worked for firms that were registered with the PIA.
	The FSA Consultation Paper 121 analyses the likely impact of these proposals on the IFA sector at paragraphs 4.19 to 4.21.

Polarisation

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what role the Universal bank will play in meeting the goals set out in FSA Consultation Paper 121.

Andrew Smith: Under the proposals for universal banking services, the Post Office Card Account will provide an electronic payment service for paying benefits and tax credits. Investments will not be part of universal banking services, so the polarisation proposals are not relevant.

Sports Clubs

Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those sports in which community amateur sports clubs would have difficulty in qualifying for charitable status because they are (a) not considered healthy, (b) considered dangerous and (c) considered too costly.

Paul Boateng: Eligibility for charitable status is a matter for the Charity Commission to decide. Sports' representative bodies are working closely with the Charity Commission in the development of guidelines for charitable status.

Sports Clubs

Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated cost is of the tax exemptions for the Inland Revenue proposals contained in Promoting Sport in the Community.

Paul Boateng: Cost will depend on any finalised tax package and subsequent take-up.

Sports Clubs

Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those sports recognised by the Sports Council which are eligible for the Inland Revenue CASC tax concessions.

Paul Boateng: The list of sports eligible for any separate Inland Revenue administered tax package would be finalised in due course, when decisions are made as part of the normal Budget process.

Sports Clubs

Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated cost is of the tax exemptions for the Charity Commission proposals contained in the consultative paper Promoting Sport in the Community.

Paul Boateng: The cost of the Charity Commission decision will depend on take-up by sports clubs. Community amateur sports clubs are able to apply immediately and there have been a significant number of inquiries from sports clubs interested in taking advantage of the new charitable purpose.

Sports Clubs

Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the cost will be of granting mandatory rate relief to community amateur sports clubs as set out in Annexe B in the consultation paper;
	(2)  what the cost of granting 80 per cent. mandatory rate relief to community amateur sports clubs based on the criteria set out in Annexe A of Promoting Sport in the Community would be.

John Greenway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of providing 80 per cent. mandatory relief from business rates for (a) those community amateur sports clubs (CASCs) which achieve charitable status and (b) those CASCs which qualify for his proposed tax relief package.

Paul Boateng: The cost of granting 80 per cent. mandatory relief to community amateur sports clubs eligible for charitable status will depend on the take-up of charitable status. 80 per cent. mandatory rate relief is not part of the proposed Inland Revenue tax package set out in Annexe A of the "Promoting Sport in the Community" consultation document.

Sports Clubs

John Greenway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many written responses have been received to the Treasury consultation paper, "Promoting Sport in the Community".

Paul Boateng: A number of responses to the consultation document "Promoting Sport in the Community" have been received from a wide range of sports clubs and representative bodies. Views expressed will be considered before decisions on the best way to support community amateur sports clubs are made.

Sports Clubs

John Greenway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to respond to the consultation document on "Promoting Sport in the Community".

Paul Boateng: Decisions on the best way to support community amateur sports clubs that make a positive contribution to their local communities will be made as part of the normal Budget process.

Sports Clubs

John Greenway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many copies of the Treasury consultation paper, "Promoting Sport in the Community", were (a) printed and (b) circulated.

Paul Boateng: 5,000 copies of the "Promoting Sport in the Community" consultation document were printed and it was also available on the Treasury public internet site. The consultation document was circulated to sports clubs and their governing bodies, Sport England and the Central Council of Physical Recreation. Given the diversity of the sector, the Government have been keen for as many interested parties as possible to have the opportunity to respond.

Credit Unions

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the Saving Gateway proposal on credit unions.

Andrew Smith: The Government set out their latest proposals for the Saving Gateway in "Delivering Saving and Assets", published in November 2001. The Government announced their intention to pilot the Saving Gateway in a number of locations, to understand better how the Saving Gateway might work in practice. Many decisions about the operation of the Saving Gateway remain to be taken, so it is not possible to say how it might affect credit unions, although credit unions might be expected to benefit from an increase in awareness and understanding of the benefits of saving. A number of credit unions have expressed an interest in being involved in elements of the Saving Gateway, including financial education.
	The Government welcome the continued involvement of all interested parties, including credit unions, in the development of the proposals for the Saving Gateway, including responses to "Delivering Saving and Assets for All".

Lost/stolen Property

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those items valued at less than £50 each which have been stolen or lost from his Department in each of the last four years.

Andrew Smith: The information from HM Treasury's database of reported thefts is as follows:
	
		
			 Item Number 
		
		
			 1998  
			 Dictating machines 5 
			 Answerphones 2 
			 Wall clock 1 
			 Briefcase 1 
			   
			 1999  
			 Dictating machine 1 
			 Computer memory chip 1 
			   
			 2000  
			 Desklamps 2 
			 Deutschmarks 100 
			   
			 2001  
			 Computer mouse 1 
			 Pack of Duracell Ultra batteries 1 
		
	
	Our policy is that all thefts and losses, no matter how small, should be reported to security. It is, however, likely that the loss of very low value items will not be reported consistently.

Transport Funding

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he has met the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions since 1 January to discuss funding for the (a) London Underground and (b) Strategic Rail Authority plan published on 14 January 2001; and what the subject of the meetings was.

Andrew Smith: Treasury Ministers and officials hold meetings with colleagues in other Departments to discuss a variety of issues on a regular basis.

Money Laundering

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) UK banks and (b) banks registered in the UK have signed up for the Wolfsberg AML Principles on money laundering.

Andrew Smith: While the Government welcome commitments from private institutions to strengthen their anti-money laundering systems, detailed data on the number of banks who have signed up to the Wolfsberg Principles are not held centrally.

ADVOCATE-GENERAL

Scotland Office

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General on how many occasions the Scotland Office has been a client of the Office of the Solicitor to the Advocate-General in terms of requests for legal services.

Lynda Clark: holding answer 4 February 2002
	The Office of the Solicitor to the Advocate- General regularly provides legal advice and other legal services, including the drafting of statutory instruments, to the Scotland Office. Providing legal advice and services is an on-going process and no record is kept of the number of requests for advice or other services.

Devolution

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General if she co-operated with the Scottish Executive with respect to the development of her role under the Scotland Act 1998.

Lynda Clark: holding answer 4 February 2002
	There is good communication and co-operation between the Scottish Executive and the Government, including my office, both in the exchange of information the discussion of issues arising under the Scotland Act 1998.

Devolution

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General which UK Government departments she has consulted prior to making a determination as to whether her intervention in devolution issue cases before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is necessary.

Lynda Clark: holding answer 4 February 2002
	Prior to deciding whether or not to intervene in devolution issue cases before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, or another court, I consult any United Kingdom Government Department which I consider has an interest in the issue under consideration.

Devolution

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General according to which criteria she determines whether her intervention in devolution issue cases before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is necessary.

Lynda Clark: holding answer 4 February 2002
	In my answer of 25 January 2002, Official Report, column 1124W, on devolution I explained my approach to intervention in devolution issue cases. Where cases reach the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, intervention may be particularly apt because that is the final authority.

Devolution

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General if she will break down by subject area the 1,300 devolution issue cases that have been intimated to her office since May 1999.

Lynda Clark: holding answer 4 February 2002
	The number of devolution minutes raising devolution issues intimated to me since May 1999 is 1,480. The figure of 1,375 is the number of devolution issue cases intimated and the reason for the difference is that sometimes a number of minutes relating to the same case are intimated to me. Approximately 85 per cent. of the devolution minutes involve claims of a breach of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which concerns the right to a fair trial. These claims involve a range of different legal arguments of varying importance. Article 8, which concerns the right to respect for private and family life, is the next most commonly referred to Article with approximately 5 per cent. of the minutes intimated referring to it. The remainder cover a variety of different issues.

Devolution

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General which parties have a right of audience in devolution issue cases before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Lynda Clark: holding answer 4 February 2002
	The relevant rules relating to both appeals and references are found in Part II of the Judicial Committee (Devolution Issues) Rules Order 1999. In appeals and references from another court Law Officers have an additional right to enter appearance and become a party to proceedings before the Judicial Committee, even when they have not been a party to the original proceedings.
	In references from other courts to the Judicial Committee any party to the proceedings in the court making the reference, including a Law Officer who is a party, may participate in the proceedings before the Judicial Committee by entering appearance. In appeals, parties to the original proceedings, including a Law Officer who is a party, have a right to appear before the Judicial Committee. Which of the Law Officers have this right depends on the circumstances as set out in the rules.
	In addition, in references by a Law Officer under paragraph 34 of Schedule 6 to the Scotland Act 1998, any other Law Officer may enter appearance and become a respondent to the proceedings.

Devolution

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General with which UK Government Departments she co-operates with respect to the development of her role under the Scotland Act 1998.

Lynda Clark: holding answer 4 February 2002
	I co-operate closely with the other United Kingdom Law Officers and with other ministerial colleagues who are concerned with constitutional matters or with particular subject matters under consideration.

Devolution

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General in what special circumstances she would intervene in devolution issue cases as a UK Law Officer in fora other than the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Lynda Clark: holding answer 4 February 2002
	In my answer of 25 January 2002, Official Report, column 1125W, on devolution, I explained my approach to intervention in devolution issue cases.

Devolution

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General on how many occasions she has met (a) the First Minister, (b) Scottish Executive Ministers, (c) the Lord Advocate, (d) the Solicitor-General for Scotland and (e) the Law Society of Scotland since 20 May 1999.

Lynda Clark: holding answer 4 February 2002
	Since May 1999 I have had regular meetings with the Lord Advocate and Solicitor General for Scotland and meetings with other Scottish Executive Ministers as appropriate. In addition, I also meet with representatives of the Law Society of Scotland.

Legal Services

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General with respect to which subject areas the Office of the Solicitor to the Advocate-General has provided legal services to the Department for Work and Pensions.

Lynda Clark: holding answer 4 February 2002
	The Office of the Solicitor to the Advocate- General provides legal services to the Department for Work and Pensions and its agencies (other than the Employment Service) in the following subject areas: social security; child support; pensions; and employment. A full range of legal services is provided including court and tribunal work, primary and subordinate legislation and general advisory work.

Office Budget

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General what is the budgetary provision for the total cost of her office in 2001–02.

Lynda Clark: holding answer 4 February 2002
	In my answer of 25 January 2002, Official Report, column 1127W on departmental costs I explained that the Office of the Advocate-General for Scotland forms part of the Scotland Office with the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland. Not all the costs of the Scotland Office can be separately allocated to each of these two offices and no separate budgetary provisions are made.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Learning and Skills Councils

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what was (a) the total bill for salaries and expenses for board members, (b) the administrative operating costs and (c) the total annual budget in the latest year for which figures are available for each of the learning and skills councils in England.

Ivan Lewis: The administrative operating costs and the total annual budget for the latest year for which figures are available, for each of the learning and skills councils in England, are detailed in the table.
	The amount of salary and expenses paid to LSC Board members is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council.
	
		Learning and Skills Council Budget Data 2001–02
		
			  LSC/National Office Directorate Admin budget Programme budget Budget total 
		
		
			 East Midlands Derbyshire 2,961,207 84,199,461 87,160,668 
			 East Midlands Nottinghamshire 3,471,336 126,235,090 129,706,426 
			 East Midlands Lincolnshire and Rutland 2,000,523 43,099,739 45,100,262 
			 East Midlands Leicestershire 2,595,228 88,082,684 90,677,912 
			 East Midlands Northamptonshire 2,028,258 46,143,926 48,172,184 
			 East of England Norfolk 2,308,116 58,646,515 60,954,631 
			 East of England Cambridgeshire 2,669,927 55,396,126 58,066,053 
			 East of England Suffolk 1,853,759 45,350,782 47,204,541 
			 East of England Bedfordshire and Luton 2,072,032 47,448,103 49,520,135 
			 East of England Hertfordshire 2,389,925 69,363,760 71,753,685 
			 East of England Essex 3,526,304 125,324,915 128,851,219 
			 Greater London London North 2,849,098 114,039,787 116,888,885 
			 Greater London London West 4,212,485 125,480,762 129,693,247 
			 Greater London London Central 4,945,555 210,772,438 215,717,993 
			 Greater London London East 4,838,360 213,164,413 218,002,773 
			 Greater London London South 3,464,543 118,194,063 121,658,606 
			 North East Northumberland 1,603,832 18,299,048 19,902,880 
			 North East Tyne and Wear 4,658,853 137,312,786 141,971,639 
			 North East County Durham 2,261,677 46,739,421 49,001,098 
			 North East Tees Valley 3,015,845 98,659,567 101,675,412 
			 North West Cumbria 1,952,868 42,691,367 44,644,235 
			 North West Lancashire 3,931,820 166,715,753 170,647,573 
			 North West Greater Merseyside 4,417,319 172,348,608 176,765,927 
			 North West Greater Manchester 6,264,609 306,386,007 312,650,616 
			 North West Cheshire and Warrington 2,561,104 75,273,022 77,834,126 
			 South East Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire 3,368,112 94,250,521 97,618,633 
			 South East Berkshire 2,755,023 61,423,348 64,178,371 
			 South East Hampshire and Isle of Wight 4,309,889 180,221,626 184,531,515 
			 South East Surrey 2,886,200 78,874,210 81,760,410 
			 South East Sussex 3,410,021 116,510,117 119,920,138 
			 South East Kent and Medway 3,499,610 107,634,064 111,133,674 
			 South West Devon and Cornwall 3,769,338 144,983,848 148,753,186 
			 South West Somerset 1,755,420 54,263,188 56,018,608 
			 South West Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole 2,441,213 50,060,473 52,501,686 
			 South West West of England 3,119,672 86,833,647 89,953,319 
			 South West Wiltshire 2,120,452 58,677,976 60,798,428 
			 South West Gloucestershire 2,334,200 43,876,871 46,211,071 
			 West Midlands Shropshire 1,535,707 45,273,080 46,808,787 
			 West Midlands Staffordshire 2,687,697 101,759,898 104,447,595 
			 West Midlands Black Country 4,070,795 132,672,736 136,743,531 
			 West Midlands Birmingham and Solihull 4,159,367 176,594,243 180,753,610 
			 West Midlands Herefordshire and Worcestershire 2,586,116 64,093,095 66,679,211 
			 West Midlands Coventry and Warwickshire 2,625,394 92,396,130 95,021,524 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber North Yorkshire 2,402,925 63,883,458 66,286,383 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber West Yorkshire 5,736,359 190,682,080 196,418,439 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber South Yorkshire 4,674,720 133,142,449 137,817,169 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber Humberside 2,921,390 96,114,879 99,036,269 
			 Sub-total  148,024,204 4,809,590,080 4,957,614,284 
			 National National Office 91,975,798 498,375,920 590,351,718 
			 Total  240,000,002 5,307,966,000 5,547,966,002 
		
	
	Important notes: As at 31 January 2002
	The Administration Budget is the latest negotiated position with DfES and includes £27 million transitional costs. The Programme Budget has been taken from version two of the budget data. Version three totals are not as yet broken down by individual LSC. The LSC has yet to complete a full financial year therefore budget data rather than actual expenditure has been provided.

Primary Pupils (Expenditure)

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list for each local education authority ranked in order of total spend in 2000–01 the money spent per primary age pupil on their education (a) by the local education authority, (b) by central Government, allocated direct to schools, to local authorities and other agencies and (c) in total in (i) 1996–97 and (ii) 2000–01.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not collected in the way it has been asked for. Data collected from section 52 and RO1 returns do not distinguish between what local authorities spend and how grants provided by central Government are spent. The following table includes figures using data taken from Net Current Expenditure (after recharges) per pupil per LEA:
	
		LEAs ranked by per pupil spend 1999–2000
		
			   Pre-primary/primary  
			 LEA name 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 
		
		
			 England 2,130 2,070 2,190 2,340 
			 City of London 5,280 5,080 5,190 5,930 
			 Isles of Scilly 3,160 3,190 3,160 4,140 
			 Westminster 3,100 3,180 3,430 3,850 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 3,450 3,510 3,510 3,720 
			 Hackney 3,260 3,110 3,210 3,610 
			 Lambeth 3,660 3,120 3,230 3,460 
			 Camden 3,110 3,000 3,160 3,450 
			 Tower Hamlets 3,190 3,160 3,250 3,380 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 2,950 2,950 2,950 3,370 
			 Southwark 3,030 2,960 3,010 3,290 
			 Islington 2,810 2,880 3,060 3,270 
			 Greenwich 2,820 2,660 2,820 3,140 
			 Wandsworth 2,620 2,680 2,790 3,110 
			 Lewisham 2,900 2,880 2,940 3,030 
			 Haringey 2,910 2,730 2,840 3,020 
			 Waltham Forest 2,460 2,400 2,390 2,990 
			 Birmingham 2,340 2,310 2,520 2,760 
			 Brent 2,500 2,520 2,720 2,750 
			 Hounslow 2,510 2,410 2,560 2,730 
			 Harrow 2,580 2,440 2,460 2,710 
			 Newham 2,330 2,180 2,320 2,690 
			 Barking and Dagenham 2,450 2,350 2,510 2,590 
			 Barnet 2,470 2,370 2,540 2,580 
			 Ealing 2,450 2,380 2,470 2,580 
			 Slough — — 2,260 2,560 
			 Nottingham City — — 2,390 2,540 
			 Merton 2,300 2,400 2,490 2,530 
			 Sutton 2,280 2,200 2,310 2,530 
			 Enfield 2,330 2,290 2,400 2,520 
			 Croydon 2,370 2,250 2,340 2,500 
			 City of Bristol 2,220 2,210 2,280 2,490 
			 Rutland — 2,240 2,420 2,470 
			 Coventry 2,150 2,210 2,370 2,460 
			 Gateshead 2,180 2,130 2,170 2,460 
			 Portsmouth — 2,180 2,290 2,460 
			 Southampton — 2,200 2,280 2,450 
			 Sandwell 2,210 2,200 2,310 2,430 
			 York 1,900 1,900 1,980 2,420 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead — — 2,190 2,420 
			 Blackburn — — 2,190 2,420 
			 Luton — 2,250 2,340 2,400 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 2,270 2,320 2,320 2,390 
			 North East Lincolnshire 2,050 1,930 2,150 2,390 
			 Isle of Wight 2,120 2,170 2,300 2,390 
			 Bromley 2,060 2,010 2,210 2,380 
			 Richmond upon Thames 2,330 2,290 2,330 2,380 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 2,200 2,100 2,180 2,380 
			 Kingston upon Thames 2,190 2,130 2,210 2,370 
			 Wolverhampton 2,210 2,140 2,210 2,370 
			 Oldham 2,080 2,040 2,170 2,370 
			 Sheffield 2,020 1,970 2,060 2,370 
			 Bradford 2,220 2,540 2,570 2,360 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 1,930 1,880 2,080 2,360 
			 Leicester — 2,180 2,140 2,360 
			 Suffolk 2,170 2,100 2,190 2,360 
			 Knowsley 2,150 2,130 2,230 2,350 
			 Liverpool 2,010 2,010 2,170 2,350 
			 Thurrock — — 2,170 2,350 
			 Cumbria 2,160 2,170 2,240 2,350 
			 Barnsley 2,010 1,970 2,080 2,340 
			 Leeds 2,140 2,000 2,180 2,340 
			 North Tyneside 2,030 1,990 2,110 2,330 
			 Durham — 2,060 2,180 2,330 
			 Halton — — 2,180 2,330 
			 Hillingdon 2,360 2,180 2,270 2,320 
			 Bolton 2,090 2,010 2,240 2,320 
			 Manchester 2,170 2,100 2,210 2,320 
			 Kirklees 2,100 2,000 2,160 2,320 
			 Salford 2,040 1,970 2,020 2,310 
			 Doncaster 2,140 2,190 2,160 2,310 
			 Reading — — 2,110 2,310 
			 Kent — — 2,110 2,310 
			 Oxfordshire 2,030 2,000 2,150 2,310 
			 Brighton and Hove — 2,130 2,160 2,300 
			 Cornwall 2,100 2,000 2,130 2,300 
			 Bedfordshire — 2,030 2,100 2,280 
			 Stoke on Trent — 1,930 2,130 2,280 
			 Blackpool — — 1,970 2,280 
			 Rotherham 1,940 1,860 2,010 2,270 
			 Sunderland 1,990 1,960 2,110 2,270 
			 City of Kingston-upon-Hull 2,060 1,990 2,180 2,270 
			 East Sussex — 1,940 2,050 2,270 
			 Redbridge 2,150 2,090 2,130 2,260 
			 Wirral 2,020 1,900 2,100 2,260 
			 Plymouth — — 2,150 2,260 
			 Nottinghamshire — — 2,190 2,260 
			 Havering 2,060 2,000 2,100 2,250 
			 St. Helens 2,050 2,030 2,160 2,250 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 1,950 2,000 2,100 2,250 
			 North Lincolnshire 2,240 2,120 2,220 2,250 
			 Milton Keynes — 1,970 2,080 2,250 
			 Bracknell Forest — — 2,100 2,250 
			 Rochester and Gillingham — — 2,090 2,250 
			 Shropshire — — 2,120 2,250 
			 Northumberland 2,070 1,950 2,110 2,250 
			 Surrey 2,110 2,060 2,190 2,250 
			 Calderdale 2,030 1,970 2,110 2,240 
			 North Yorkshire 2,000 1,960 2,050 2,240 
			 Derby — 1,950 2,130 2,240 
			 Southend — — 2,030 2,240 
			 South Tyneside 1,970 1,900 2,050 2,230 
			 The Wrekin — — 2,070 2,230 
			 Sefton 2,080 2,020 2,100 2,220 
			 North Somerset 2,120 2,100 2,220 2,220 
			 Hampshire — 2,020 2,040 2,220 
			 Devon — — 2,050 2,220 
			 Essex — — 2,140 2,220 
			 West Sussex 2,020 2,000 2,070 2,220 
			 Bexley 1,970 1,880 2,040 2,210 
			 Lancashire — — 2,080 2,210 
			 Somerset 1,910 1,950 2,030 2,210 
			 Dudley 1,890 1,830 2,070 2,200 
			 Rochdale 1,960 1,940 2,000 2,200 
			 West Berkshire — — 2,000 2,200 
			 Cambridgeshire — — 2,100 2,200 
			 Torbay — — 2,020 2,200 
			 Norfolk 1,950 2,060 2,090 2,200 
			 Warwickshire 2,060 1,960 2,100 2,200 
			 Walsall 2,100 2,030 2,130 2,190 
			 South Gloucestershire 1,990 1,950 2,110 2,190 
			 Cheshire — — 2,100 2,190 
			 Herefordshire — — 2,080 2,190 
			 Wakefield 2,010 1,900 2,030 2,180 
			 Leicestershire — 1,910 2,080 2,180 
			 Wokingham — — 1,890 2,180 
			 Dorset — 2,030 2,150 2,170 
			 Tameside 1,920 1,910 2,010 2,150 
			 Middlesbrough 1,990 1,980 1,980 2,150 
			 Bournemouth — 1,860 2,100 2,150 
			 Wiltshire — 1,980 2,000 2,150 
			 Hertfordshire 2,130 1,980 2,070 2,150 
			 Northamptonshire 1,970 1,870 1,990 2,150 
			 Buckinghamshire — 1,970 2,050 2,130 
			 Darlington — 1,890 2,070 2,130 
			 Gloucestershire 1,940 1,910 2,020 2,130 
			 Wigan 1,940 1,870 2,010 2,120 
			 Warrington — — 2,010 2,120 
			 Solihull 2,020 1,900 2,000 2,110 
			 Bury 2,040 1,860 1,900 2,100 
			 Trafford 1,880 1,830 1,940 2,090 
			 Poole — 1,850 1,930 2,090 
			 Peterborough — — 2,140 2,090 
			 Worcestershire — — 2,010 2,070 
			 Lincolnshire 2,000 1,910 1,930 2,060 
			 Derbyshire — 1,900 1,980 2,050 
			 Stockport 1,930 1,800 1,930 2,040 
			 Hartlepool 1,810 1,830 1,990 2,040 
			 Staffordshire — 1,770 1,870 2,030 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 1,990 1,910 1,890 2,020 
			 Swindon — 1,820 1,880 1,880 
			 Pre LGR Bedfordshire 2,100 — — — 
			 Pre LGR Buckinghamshire 2,040 — — — 
			 Pre LGR Derbyshire 1,980 — — — 
			 Pre LGR Dorset 1,980 — — — 
			 Pre LGR Durham 2,060 — — — 
			 Pre LGR East Sussex 2,070 — — — 
			 Pre LGR Hampshire 2,120 — — — 
			 Pre LGR Leicestershire 1,980 — — — 
			 Pre LGR Staffordshire 1,840 — — — 
			 Pre LGR Wiltshire 1,980 — — — 
			 Pre LGR Berkshire 2,030 1,890 — — 
			 Pre LGR Cambridgeshire 2,120 2,030 — — 
			 Pre LGR Cheshire 1,970 1,970 — — 
			 Pre LGR Devon 1,980 1,930 — — 
			 Pre LGR Essex 2,090 1,990 — — 
			 Pre LGR Hereford and Worcester 2,020 1,940 — — 
			 Pre LGR Kent 2,030 1,990 — — 
			 Pre LGR Lancashire 1,990 1,950 — — 
			 Pre LGR Nottinghamshire 2,150 2,100 — — 
			 Pre LGR Shropshire 1,930 1,920 — — 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Information for 2000–01 is not yet available.
	2. Figures for 1996–97 to 1998–99 include grant maintained schools. Figures for 1990–2000 include ex-GM schools.
	3. All figures are in real terms at 2000–01 prices (using GDP deflators published by Treasury on 20 December 2001), and rounded to the nearest £10.
	4. Expenditure data for 1990–2000 are taken from section 52 outturn statements completed by local education authorities and returned to DfES.
	5. A number of LEAs have yet to submit clean section 52 outturn data for 2000–01. Full information for 2000–02 is therefore not yet available.
	6. Data for previous years are taken from DTER's Revenue Outturn Returns.
	7. Pupil numbers used in calculating per pupil figures are financial year averages, based on January Annual School Census returns.
	8. Per pupil amounts are shown for years in which LEAs existed—local government re-organisation affected a number of LEAs between 1996–97 and 1998–99.

Autism

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to his answer on 3 December 2001, Official Report, column 77W, on autistic spectrum disorders, what the change in the number of children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorders has been since 1980; and if she will increase funding for children with SEN, with specific reference to autistic spectrum disorders.

Ivan Lewis: The Department does not collect education data on the number of pupils with autistic spectrum disorders, though we are examining whether data on different types of special educational needs could be collected, probably from January 2004. The Medical Research Council's recently completed review of the epidemiology and causes of autism notes that in recent years there has been a widespread perception that the number of people with autism coming to clinical attention has greatly increased. It states that the apparent increase in prevalence of autism is likely to have resulted from better diagnosis and clearer definition as well as increased awareness. Direct comparisons are, however, complicated by the different definitions and methodologies used in research studies in the past.
	Funding is not made available for specific categories of special educational need. Rather, funding is allocated and distributed via local education authorities (LEAs), who have a duty to provide appropriately for all children in their area. This includes the duty to identify children's individual special educational needs and to deliver the most appropriate provision to meet those needs.
	Overall funding for education, including for pupils with special educational needs, is increasing. Details of provisional 2002–03 Education Standard Spending (ESS) allocations for each LEA were announced in December, with an overall increase of more than £1.3 billion compared to the current year. Alongside this we have also made £91 million of supported expenditure available for special educational needs in next year's Standards Fund (2002–03), an increase from the £82 million available this year. The fund can be used for a range of activities including training for staff in special educational needs. By 2003–04 average recurrent funding per pupil will have increased by over £760 in real terms since 1997–98.

Departmental Secondments (Energy Industry)

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many staff were seconded between (a) BP, (b) Shell, (c) Enron, (d) Exxon-Mobil, (e) Conoco, (f) Texaco and (g) TotalFinaElf and her Department in (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01 and (iii) April 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: There have been no staff seconded between BP, Shell, Enron, Exxon-Mobil, Conoco Texaco or TotalFinaElf and this Department in any of the periods described.

Classroom Assistants

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many classroom assistants were employed in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools on (i) 31 December 1997 and (ii) 31 December 2001.

Stephen Timms: The available information is shown in the table.
	
		Full time equivalent number of teaching assistants(9),(10) in maintained primary and secondary schools(11), England (January each year)
		
			   1997 1998 2001 
		
		
			 Primary(11) 39,751 42,727 63,176 
			 Secondary(11) 7,821 8,973 15,467 
		
	
	(9) Includes both full-time and the full-time equivalent of part-time non-teaching staff.
	(10) Includes nursery assistants, special needs support staff, minority ethnic pupil support staff and non-teaching assistants.
	(11) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census

Budgets

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of (a) secondary school and (b) sixth-form college budgets are accounted for by the Standards Fund in 2001–02.

Stephen Timms: Two separate Standards Fund are in operation: one paid by the Government to local education authorities, most of which is passed on by them to schools; the other administered by the learning and skills council and is paid to further education institutions.
	School budget statements for 2001–02 indicate that the Standards Fund represents 6.9 per cent. of secondary school budgets.
	The largest element of funding for sixth form colleges is from the learning and skills council's participation funding. In addition, they receive grant from the Standards Fund managed by the learning and skills council. It is estimated that the Standards Fund will account for 4.8 per cent. of these two funding streams in 2001–02. Sixth-form colleges may receive other funding in their budgets, but details of these are not available centrally.

Examination Marking

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many requests for re-marks in England and Wales of (a) A-level, (b) A-S level and (c) GCSE papers in 2001 were refused because of the loss of the relevant exam scripts; and what the corresponding (i) A-level and (ii) GCSE figures were for the previous four years.

Ivan Lewis: Awarding bodies do not refuse requests for re-marks where scripts are lost. If a script cannot be found after an exhaustive search, the awarding body will make a special award based on careful consideration of the other assessment evidence of the candidate's performance. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority does not as part of its monitoring exercise collect figures on the incidence of such cases.

Examination Marking

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many re-marked (a) A-level, (b) A-S level and (c) GCSE papers there were in England and Wales during 2001 by subject; if he will list each figure as a percentage of the overall number of relevant subject papers; and if he will list the corresponding (i) A-level and (ii) GCSE figures for the previous four years.

Ivan Lewis: Figures are not normally collated by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority at subject level as quality assurance focuses on qualification type and awarding body performance.

Examination Marking

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average length of time taken by exam boards limits in England and Wales during 2001 was to re-mark (a) an A-level script, (b) an A-S level script and (c) a GCSE script; and what the corresponding (i) A-level and (ii) GCSE figures were for the previous four years.

Ivan Lewis: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has been collecting data since 1999 on the percentage of re-marks completed by the awarding bodies within the agreed target periods. Reports for 1999 and 2000 are available on the QCA website. The report for 2001 will be published on 25 March 2002.
	QCA does not collect information on exactly how many days any particular re-mark took. In the table, the percentage of remarks completed within the target time is given for 1999 and 2000 by all awarding bodies offering GCSEs in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland:
	
		Percentage 
		
			   A/AS-level GCSE 
		
		
			 1999 82 68 
			 2000 95 93

Examination Marking

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils in England and Wales were subject to the remarking of (a) A-level, (b) AS-level and (c) GCSE papers in 2001; what the total of these figures is as a percentage of the total number of pupils; and what the corresponding (i) A-level and (ii) GCSE figures were for the previous four years.

Ivan Lewis: Data are only collected with respect to candidates. The data for 2001 are currently being collated by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and will be included in the authority's annual report to be published on 25 March. Figures have been collated only since 1999; the figures for 1999 and 2000 are set out as follows.
	
		
			  2000 1999 
		
		
			 A-level   
			 Number of candidates subject to remarks 29,640 25,983 
			 Percentage of candidates subject to remarks 3.8 3.3 
			
			 AS-level   
			 Number of candidates subject to remarks 1,149 1,005 
			 Percentage of candidates subject to remarks 1.5 1 
			
			 GCSE   
			 Number of candidates subject to remarks 57,772 26,371 
			 Percentage of candidates subject to remarks 1 0.5

Examination Marking

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many re-marked (a) A-level, (b) AS-level and (c) GCSE papers in England and Wales during 2001 resulted in upgrades; what percentage these figures were of the total number of papers; and what the corresponding (i) A-level and (ii) GCSE figures were for the previous four years.

Ivan Lewis: Data for 2001 are currently being collated by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and will be included in the Authority's annual report to be published on 25 March 2002. Figures have been collated only since 1999; the figures for 1999 and 2000 are set out as follows.
	
		
			  2000 1999 
		
		
			 A-level   
			 Number of remarks resulting in an upward grade change 4,644 3.476 
			 Percentage of total number of papers 0.6 0.4 
			
			 GCSE   
			 Number of remarks resulting in an upward grade change 6,601 2,960 
			 Percentage of total number of papers 0.1 0.06

Examination Marking

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools in England and Wales asked for (a) A-level, (b) AS-level and (c) GCSE papers to be re-marked in 2001; and what the corresponding (i) A-level and (ii) GCSE figures were for the previous four years.

Ivan Lewis: The monitoring of progress and outcomes of a remark is at candidate level rather than school or college level. It is not possible within the current systems to collate information about individual candidates across awarding bodies to produce cumulative data for schools.

Examination Marking

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many of the re-marked (a) A-level, (b) AS-level and (c) GCSE papers in England and Wales during 2001 were upgraded by two or more grades; what the total of these figures is as a percentage of the total number of re-marked papers; and what the corresponding (i) A-level and (ii) GCSE figures were for the previous four years.

Ivan Lewis: Information on remarks resulting in upgrades by two grades or more is not available. The data collated by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority focus on the number of grade changes made by the awarding bodies rather than the degree of change.

Faith Schools

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in (a) each metropolitan district council area and (b) England receive their full-time education in (i) Roman Catholic, (ii) Church of England, (iii) Jewish and (iv) Muslim private schools.

Stephen Timms: The available information is shown in the table.
	
		Full-time pupils in independent Muslim and Jewish schools in each metropolitan district in England(12)
		
			   Muslim Jewish 
		
		
			 England 10,265 9,205 
			
			 Barnet (13)— 1,319 
			 Birmingham 1,051 (13)— 
			 Bolton 598 (13)— 
			 Bradford 562 (13)— 
			 Brent 864 24 
			 Bromley 131 (13)— 
			 Bury 410 178 
			 City of Westminster (13)— 172 
			 Coventry 65 (13)— 
			 Ealing 790 57 
			 Gateshead (13)— 713 
			 Hackney 377 4,420 
			 Hammersmith & Fulham 166 (13)— 
			 Islington (13)— 195 
			 Kensington & Chelsea 109 (13)— 
			 Kirklees 705 (13)— 
			 Lambeth 29 (13)— 
			 Leeds 85 46 
			 Manchester 494 234 
			 Newham 90 (13)— 
			 Salford (13)— 1,392 
			 Sheffield 44 (13)— 
			 Tower Hamlets 422 (13)— 
			 Waltham Forest 96 (13)— 
			 Wandsworth 322 (13)— 
		
	
	(12) Similar information on Roman Catholic and Church of England independent schools is not collected.
	(13) Data not available.
	Source:
	Independent Schools Registration Team, DfES

Drug Awareness

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action she is taking to promote drug awareness in schools

Ivan Lewis: All schools are required to deliver drugs education as a statutory part of the national curriculum. In addition, three years of focused effort has raised the profile of drug education and increased drug awareness by: the production of guidance for schools; the launch of the joint Department of Health and Department of Education and Skills National Healthy School Standard (NHSS) in October 1999, of which drug education is a key component; and the publication of the Personal, Social, and Health Education Framework (PSHE) in November 1999.
	£15 million is available this year to all LEAs through the Standards Fund to support drug education. It will help teachers deliver a drug education programme, which equips them with the knowledge and awareness to recognise the dangers of drug misuse and make informed choices. It will also fund drug advisers to work directly with schools, the training of Connexions personal advisers for 13 to 19-year-olds and ensure that key partners are engaged in developing drug education programmes relevant to the needs of the local community.

Teacher Retention

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research she has commissioned into the reasons for teachers leaving the profession.

Stephen Timms: The Department has commissioned Professor Alan Smithers and Dr. Pamela Robinson, from the University of Liverpool, Centre for Education and Employment Research to undertake research into the factors affecting teachers' decisions to leave the profession. The research commenced in December 2001 and we expect the report to be published in March 2003.

Further/Higher Education (Romford)

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of 16-year-olds in Romford have opted to continue into further and higher education in each of the past five years.

Ivan Lewis: Data on the proportion of 16-year-olds continuing in post-compulsory education is not calculated for areas smaller than LEAs as reliable estimates cannot be made.
	The percentage of 16-year-olds participating in full-time and part-time education for Havering LEA, which includes Romford, in the latest five years for which data are available is as follows:
	
		Percentage of 16-year-olds participating in full-time and part-time education(14): Havering LEA
		
			  Full-time Part-time 
		
		
			 1995–96 74 5 
			 1886–97 71 4 
			 1997–98 73 10 
			 1998–99 71 4 
			 1999–2000 72 4 
		
	
	(14) Includes participation in schools, sixth form colleges and further education colleges.
	Participation rates by LEA for 16 and 17-year-olds are published in an annual statistical bulletin, "Participation in Education and Training by Young People Aged 16 and 17 in Each Local Area and Region, England".
	Figures for the number of school leavers who later go on to higher education are not collated centrally on a constituency basis.

Post-16 Provision (Funding)

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action she is taking to equalise the per capita funding for post-16 provision in colleges with school sixth forms.

Ivan Lewis: The Government are firmly committed to bringing up the level of funding for colleges towards that of school sixth forms. As we have repeatedly made clear, this will take time and must be done as resources allow. We are considering this issue as part of the current spending review.

Value-added School League Tables

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress she is making in introducing value-added school league tables; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We are committed to supplementing the information already published in performance tables with information about how far schools help their pupils to progress between the various stages of their education.
	In November last year, we published the results of a pilot programme for the calculation of value added measures for secondary schools, showing the progress made from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 and from Key Stage 3 to GCSE/GNVQ. An evaluation of the pilot and further consultation that will take place shortly, will inform decisions on the publication of these two measures for all secondary schools in the 2002 performance tables.
	We also intend to run a pilot this year on the calculation and presentation of a value added measure from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2 with a view to publishing this measure for all schools in the primary tables in 2003.

Asthma (Schoolchildren)

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what guidelines she issues to ensure that children at school (a) are not exposed to asthma triggers and (b) have quick access to their medication;
	(2)  what recent measures she has taken to ensure that all schools have an asthma plan and members of staff who know what to do if a child has a serious attack.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for Education and Skills, along with the Department of Health, has produced "Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs: a good practice guide" to encourage local education authorities and schools to draw up medical support policies and put in place effective management systems to support pupils with medical needs, such as asthma. The guide and its availability on the web, at www.dfes.gov.uk/medical, were promoted last year in the Department's Spectrum publication, sent to all local education authorities and schools in England.

Cortical Visual Impairment

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children aged up to 10-years-old suffer from cortical visual impairment (a) in England, (b) in the north-west and (c) in Lancashire; and what provision is made for young people suffering from cortical visual impairment in each of the counties of England.

Jacqui Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	A study undertaken by the Institute of Child Health in Liverpool in 1996 estimated the prevalence of children affected by cortical visual impairment at 5.8 per 10,000. I understand that many children have additional disabilities. The Special Educational Needs (SEN) framework provides for individual children's educational needs to be identified, assessed and catered for as quickly as possible. For children with severe or complex needs, local education authorities carry out a multi-professional statutory assessment and issue a statement of SEN setting out each child's needs in detail and the provision to be made for meeting those needs by the education and health services.

Examination Results (Children in Care)

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children who (a) did not gain any GSCEs and (b) gained fewer than 5 A*-C GCSEs were in care in each of the years (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98, (iii) 1998–99, (iv) 1990–2000 and (v) 2000–01.

Jacqui Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	Educational achievements of children looked after by local councils have only been collected by the Department since 1 April 1999. These data relate to the educational achievements of children leaving care aged 16 or over.
	
		Number of children who ceased to be looked after during the years ending 31 March 2000 and 2001, aged 16 and over, by level of qualifications achieved -- England
		
			   Year ending 31 March:  
			  2000 2001 
		
		
			 Number with   
			 No GCSE passes 4,900 4,200 
			 Fewer than 5 GCSE passes at grade A*-C 5,530 6,200 
			
			 Percentage with   
			 No GCSE passes 71 64 
			 Fewer than 5 GCSE passes at grade A*-C 96 95

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Emergency Planning

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what responses he has received to the recent discussion document on the future of emergency planning in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Leslie: Over 260 responses to the discussion document were received, of which over half were from local government. Copies of the responses have been placed in the Library together with a summary analysis of them by the Civil Contingencies Secretariat. This summary will also be placed on the secretariat's website, www.ukresilience. info. I am working with officials to develop proposals on the next steps, including the need for new legislation in this field. This will be done in consultation with local government and other stakeholder groups and we will take full account of the points made in the course of debate on the Civil Defence (Grant) Bill. I shall keep the House fully informed of the progress of this important exercise.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Data Protection Registrar

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what recent representations he has received over the Data Protection Registrar's involvement in parliamentary correspondence between hon. Members and Government Departments.

Michael Wills: I have received no such representations. However, in an adjournment debate in Westminster Hall on 31 October 2001, Official Report, 304–10WH, my hon. Friends the Members for Cunninghame, South (Mr. Donohoe) and for Coventry, South (Mr. Cunningham) raised the question of the effect of the Data Protection Act 1998 upon hon. Members' constituency work. The hon. Member for West Worcestershire (Sir Michael Spicer) also raised the matter during Business Questions on 29 November 2001, Official Report, column 1110.

Data Protection Registrar

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many hon. and right hon. Members are registered with the Data Protection Registrar.

Michael Wills: The Data Protection Registrar became the Data Protection Commissioner when the Data Protection Act 1998 came into force in March 2000. She was renamed the Information Commissioner on 30 January 2001. The registration requirement of the Data Protection Act 1984 was replaced by a notification requirement under the 1998 Act.
	The Commissioner exercises her functions independently of Government, but I understand from her that 271 Members of Parliament are currently registered in their capacities as such. This figure includes notifications made under the 1998 Act and register entries made under the now-repealed 1984 Act which are still valid.

Courts Service

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many cases were handled by the Courts Service for each year since 1992.

Michael Wills: Information concerning the number of cases dealt with in the criminal and civil courts under the administration of the Lord Chancellor's Department, 1992 to 1994, and then the Court Service, 1995 to 2000, are published annually in the departmental annual report "Judicial Statistics". Copies of the publication can be found in the Libraries of the House.

Courts Service

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what his policy is on the reorganisation of the Courts Service.

Michael Wills: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 4 February 2001, Official Report, column 712W, to his question number 32053. The Government are considering the recommendations in Sir Robin Auld's report and intend to publish a White Paper in the spring.
	The Court Service as an executive agency of the Department is currently undergoing a quinquennial review. That report will also be published in the spring and its recommendations will be carefully considered by the Department.

Law Commission

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many reports or submissions the Law Commission has completed since it was first established; and if he will list them.

Michael Wills: The Law Commission has completed 161 consultation papers, 274 reports and 25 other publications since it was first established in 1965. A list of these publications has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Land Registry

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what training is made available to administrative staff in the Land Registry.

Michael Wills: The Land Registry is committed to providing all staff with appropriate training and development to enable them to do their jobs effectively. A range of training is available including induction courses for new entrants, job skills training and management training. The opportunity to study for an accredited qualification in land registration practice is also available.

Judges (Transport)

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the average annual cost per judge of providing transport in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Michael Wills: The average annual cost, for the period April 2000 to March 2001, of providing transport to High Court judges was £6,284 per judge. The average annual cost of travel and subsistence payments, for the same period, for circuit, district and part-time judges is £1,311 per judge. Separate figures for travel costs alone are not collected in a format which can answer the question. To do so would incur disproportionate costs to the Department.

Public Record Office

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many categories of record the Public Record Office hold; and if she will list the numbers held in each category.

Rosie Winterton: The Public Record Office is charged with the selection, preservation and provision of public access to records created by Government bodies. The categorisation of the records is based on the Department of state or other Government body that created them. There are currently 353 categories.
	No statistics are held of the number of records in each category and it would not be possible to obtain them without incurring disproportionate cost.
	The PRO catalogue, which is accessible on-line through the PRO's website at www.pro.gov.uk, lists over 9 million separate pieces. A piece can be a single document or a file or a volume. The catalogue can be searched in a variety of ways from simple keyword to advanced Boolean.

Parking Spaces

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what car parking spaces are provided for staff employed in the Land Registry; and what the average annual cost is of providing such spaces.

Michael Wills: The Land Registry currently provides 4,705 parking spaces for use by its staff. A further 253 spaces are available for visitors and disabled drivers.
	The Land Registry is unable to provide specific information on the cost of providing car parking spaces at its offices as costs are not separately identified in the processes of acquisition or maintenance of Land Registry property.

IT Contracts

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what has been the total expenditure of his Department on IT systems and support in each year from May 1997 to date; how many IT contracts have been let in each of those years; of the other main contracting party in each of those contracts, how many have been (a) companies whose registered office is in (i) England and Wales, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Northern Ireland and (b) foreign companies; and what are the names of the companies falling within category (a).

Michael Wills: The following shows the total expenditure of the Lord Chancellor's Department on IT systems and support in each year from May 1997 to date and details of IT contracts let in each of those years.
	
		Expenditure
		
			 Lord Chancellor's Department £ million 
		
		
			 IT systems/support  
			 1997–98 5.38 
			 1998–99 12.84 
			 1999–2000 21.03 
			 2001–01 49.98 
			 2001–02 36.88 
			  
			 Total 126.11 
		
	
	
		Contracts
		
			 Supplier 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 England and Wales  
			 Albany Software — — — — 1 
			 AMP Limited — 1 — — — 
			 Assetware Technology Limited — — — 1 — 
			 Business Information Technologies — — — 1 — 
			 Cable and Wireless — — — — 1 
			 Computers in personnel 1 — — — — 
			 Cyberscience Corporation — — — — 1 
			 Dunnett Shaw and Partners — — — — 1 
			 Edis International 1 — — — — 
			 MEC Europe Limited — 3 — — — 
			 Financial Times Info Limited — — 2 — — 
			 Guardian IT Group — — — — 1 
			 ICL — 1 1 — — 
			 Information Initiatives 2 1 1 1 — 
			 Network Associates — — — — 1 
			 One Zero 1 — — — — 
			 PC Associates — — 2 — — 
			 Pixel — — 1 — — 
			 Respond — 1 — — — 
			 Taxsoft — 1 — — — 
			 Tower Perrin — 1 — — — 
			  
			 Total England and Wales 5 9 7 3 6 
			   
			 Scotland  
			 Total Scotland 0 0 0 0 0 
			   
			 Northern Ireland  
			 Total Northern Ireland 0 0 0 0 0 
			   
			 Foreign  
			 Total Foreign 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	In addition to the above the Lord Chancellor's Department also let a PFI contract to CSL Group Ltd. The contract is for the provision of accounting, financial, human resources/payroll and management information services. It was awarded in December 1997 and runs until 4 January 2007. The services have IT elements and are delivered using a corporate IT infrastructure provided through the contract. However, the IT elements of the contract are not separable from the accounting, financial, human resources/payroll or management information service provision elements. Therefore, cost information is expressed for the contract as a whole. Since contract award, in response to new requirements from the Department, there have been a number of significant variations to the services provided within the scope of the contract.
	Current estimated total service charges for the life of the contract amounts to £118.05 million.

Legal Aid Firms

Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many legal aid firms Ministers in his Department have visited since 7 June 2001.

Michael Wills: The Department's Ministers occasionally visit law centres, solicitors' firms and barristers' chambers. In December 2001, as part of one such visit, the Lord Chancellor visited a Birmingham solicitors' firm which holds a contract to carry out publicly funded criminal work. In addition, the Legal Services Commission, for which the Lord Chancellor has ministerial responsibility, visits firms which carry out publicly funded work on an on-going basis, for development and audit purposes.

Fair Trade Fortnight

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he is taking to encourage participation by his Department in Fair Trade Fortnight from 4 to 17 March.

Michael Wills: Within the context of the Department's limited opportunity to buy free trade goods, we take every opportunity to encourage their purchase in line with Government policy.
	For instance, at our headquarters building, our caterers currently offer fair trade coffee and are investigating the future sale of fair trade tea. In additional, our caterers in our courts in the northern, north-eastern and north Wales regions offer both fair trade tea and coffee.
	Regarding Fairtrade Fortnight, at the Department's suggestion both these caterers have agreed to support this important and worthwhile event and in the coming weeks will be producing marketing literature and advising customers of a number of linked promotions.

Census Online

Nick Hawkins: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much taxpayers' money is in the possession of the Public Record Office as pre-payment for Census Online.

Rosie Winterton: No taxpayers' money is in the possession of the Public Record Office as a pre-payment for Census Online.

Remuneration

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will estimate the number of individuals in her (a) Department, (b) related agencies and (c) related non-departmental public bodies whose annual remuneration including benefits in kind exceeded (i) £100,000 and (ii) £200,000 in each of the last four years.

Rosie Winterton: The number of individuals whose annual remuneration (i) exceeds £100,000 (including basis salary, allowances and bonuses, but excluding overtime and pensions benefits) is as follows:
	As at 1 April 2001
	(a) LCD Headquarters: 4
	(b) The Court Service, the Public Guardianship Office, the Northern Ireland Court Service, the Land Registry and the Public Record Office: 2
	As at 1 April 2000
	(a) 2
	(b) 0
	As at 1 April 1999
	(a) 2
	(b) 0
	As at 1 April 1998
	(a) 2
	(b) 0.
	(ii) There are no individuals whose annual remuneration exceeds £200,000.
	As regards (c) I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 252W.

Ministerial Transport

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what her estimate is of the cost of (a) ministerial cars and drivers and (b) taxis for her Department in each of the last four years.

Rosie Winterton: Regarding part (a), I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 30 January 2002, Official Report, columns 405–06W.
	As for part (b), expenditure against the departmental taxi service contract has been as follows:
	1 July 1998 to 31 March 1999: £30,596
	1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000: £53,852
	1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001: £71,828
	1 April 2001 to 16 January 2002: £50,175.
	The existing contract commenced on 1 July 1998 and determining taxi expenditure before that date would involve disproportionate cost.
	The figures exclude any amounts spent on taxi hire outside of the departmental contract and reclaimed by officials as travel and subsistence expenditure.

Ministerial Trips

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list each of the overseas trips made by the Lord Chancellor and other members of her ministerial team in each of the last four years, specifying the purpose and cost of each trip.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 707W.

HEALTH

Dentists

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to change the way in which dentists are remunerated in order to encourage greater preventive care.

Hazel Blears: While there are no immediate plans to change the way dentists are remunerated, we are continuing to work with the profession and other stakeholders to modernise national health service dentistry and to improve systems of delivery for NHS dentistry.

Taunton and Somerset NHS Hospital Trust

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the standard retirement age is for (a) doctors and (b) consultants in the Taunton and Somerset NHS hospital trust; how many in each category were compulsorily retired for age reasons in each of the last five years.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chair of Taunton and Somerset national health service trust for this information.

NHS Direct

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many calls NHS Direct has received.

Hazel Blears: Since NHS Direct was launched in March 1998 it has handled around 9,000,000 calls. NHS Direct currently averages 120,000 calls a week.

Orthodontist Services

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children and young people under the age of 16 years in England were waiting for an appointment to see an orthodontist (a) at the latest available date and (b) in March 1997.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 8 January 2002
	Information on waiting times for orthodontic treatment is not held centrally.

Health Care (Isle of Wight)

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients on the Isle of Wight waited over one hour for treatment in casualty in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000 and (e) 2001; and what percentage each figure represents of total casualty attendances.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 4 December 2002
	The information requested is not collected centrally.
	The latest available figures for national health service trusts in the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South-East Hampshire health authority area for accident and emergency attendances are 2001–02—Quarter 2 and are given in the table.
	
		Accident and emergency services activity for Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South-East Hampshire health authority area, 2001–02 Q2
		
			   Attendance  
			 Org ID/NHS organisation name First Subsequent Total 
		
		
			 5FD
			 East Hampshire PCT 1,305 324 1,629 
			 
			 RHU
			 Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 29,670 1,879 31,549 
			 
			 RR2
			 Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust 9,827 887 10,714 
			 Total attendances for health authority area 40,802 3,090 43,892 
		
	
	Source:
	KH09Q—Out-patients and accident and emergency services

Nursing and Residential Home Beds

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursing and residential home beds there were in (a) Hampshire and (b) in the Portsmouth, Isle of Wight and south east Hampshire health authority in (i) 1993, (ii) 1998, (iii) 1999 and (iv) 2000.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 11 December 2001
	The table shows the number of residential and nursing care home beds in (a) Hampshire and (b) the Portsmouth, Isle of Wight and south-east Hampshire health authority.
	
		
			  (a) Hampshire(15) (b) Portsmouth, Isle of Wight and south-east Hampshire health authority  
			 At 31 March Residential Nursing Residential(16) Nursing 
		
		
			 1993(17) (18)— 3,659 (18)— 2,096 
			 1998 12,181 5,436 (16)4,015 2,174 
			 1999 11,859 4,820 (16)3,925 2,229 
			 2000 11,485 5,027 (16)3,829 2,027 
			 2001 12,109 5,140 (16)3,606 2,045 
		
	
	(15) Information is presented for the geographical area covered by Hampshire shire county and Portsmouth and Southampton unitary authorities and the north and mid-Hampshire, Portsmouth and south-east Hampshire and south-west Hampshire health authorities. The Isle of Wight is excluded.
	(16) Information on residential places is for Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight unitary authorities only. Information for the south-east Hampshire health authority area is not available centrally.
	(17) Nursing bed figures for 1993 were collected at the time of main inspection between 1 October 1992 and 31 March 1993.
	(18) Not available
	Source:
	Department of Health's annual returns

Strategic Health Authorities

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the appointments to be made of the chairs and other members of the boards of the strategic health authorities in England.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 8 January 2002
	The names of 27 of the new health authority chairs were announced by the national health service appointments commission on 19 December 2001. The appointment of the remaining chair was announced on 21 December 2001. The Commission expects to appoint the non- executive members between January and April this year.

Community Health Councils

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many representations he has received from members of community health councils supporting their abolition;
	(2)  how many representations he has received urging the Government not to abolish community health councils.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 8 January 2002
	The listening exercise on "Involving Patients and the Public in Health Care" generated a large number of responses from a wide range of sources—including community health councils, members of the public, the voluntary sector, the national health service and local government. We were not consulting on whether CHCs should be abolished—that is our intention and is currently subject to parliamentary scrutiny. We were seeking views on the how the replacement arrangements should work.
	The Association of Community Health Councils in England and Wales and the majority of CHCs accept that the system of patient and public involvement in the NHS needs to be modernised and that the new system has many advantages. We continue to work with the Association for Community Health Councils in England and Wales and other key stakeholders to ensure that what replaces CHCs builds on the best of CHCs and secures improved patient and public involvement in the NHS.

Paramedics

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paramedics are on long-term sick leave in England as a result of (a) work-related injuries and (b) being physically assaulted by the general public in the line of work.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 8 January 2002
	Information on levels of sickness absence resulting from work-related injuries or violence at work, by individual staff group, is not collected centrally, but may be held at a local level by individual national health service employers.
	The Department conducted a survey of NHS trusts in England in 1998–99. The survey found that, on average, seven violent incidents were recorded each month per 1,000 staff. This is equivalent to approximately 65,000 violent incidents against NHS trust staff each year. The average monthly accident rate for NHS ambulance trusts was 38 per month per 1,000 staff. Details of the survey can be found in Health Service Circular 1999/229: 'Managing Violence, Accidents and Sickness Absence in the NHS', a copy of which is in the Library.
	The average sickness absence rate for staff directly employed by NHS ambulance trusts in 1999 was 6.6 per cent.

Patient Confidentiality

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the NHS guidelines and rules regarding patient confidentiality.

Hazel Blears: Guidance on patient confidentiality was issued to the national health service in March 1996 entitled 'The Protection and Use of Patient Information'. This has been supplemented by guidance to NHS staff responsible for advising their organisations on patient confidentiality—Caldicott Guardians—in the form of a manual entitled 'Protecting and Using Patient Information: A manual for Caldicott Guardians' issued in March 1999. A strategic framework for improving confidentiality as part of wider work to modernise the NHS was published in December 2001 entitled 'Protecting and Using Patient Information: A strategy for the NHS'.

Primary Care Budgets

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state for each primary care organisation in England at the most recent date for which figures are available (a) the prescribing budget for 2001–02, (b) the forecast outturn for 2001–02, (c) the projected overspend or underspend and (d) the projected overspend or underspend as a percentage of budget.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 1 February 2002
	A table setting out the prescribing budgets notified to the Prescription Pricing Authority (PPA) by each primary care trust or primary care group has been placed in the Library. They are practice level prescribing budgets. They do not necessarily reflect the total resource set aside locally for prescribing as primary care trusts, primary care groups and health authorities may hold contingency reserves. The forecast outturns are based on prescribing data up to and including November 2001.

Surgical Instruments

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the value of the re-usable instruments destroyed following the advice of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee on their use.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Surgical Instruments

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors were used to inform purchasing decisions for single-use instruments for tonsillectomy in 2001.

Jacqui Smith: The following criteria were used to evaluate suppliers and their products to make sure that single use instruments were acceptable to the national health service:
	The instruments had to be of high quality; fit for purpose and clinically acceptable
	The suppliers had to be able to supply sterile instruments and were certified by the Medical Devices Agency standards to do so
	The instruments had to comply with the Medical Devices Directive 93/42/EEC (CE marking)
	Suppliers had to have manufacturing quality systems in place
	Price
	Suppliers had to be capable of supplying the required volumes within the short timescales
	Suppliers had to have a risk management policy in place.

Road Traffic Accidents

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patient stays in the last three years in NHS hospitals were subject to recovery of costs because the individual concerned had been involved in a motor accident; and how much revenue arose (a) by entitlement to recovery and (b) by actual repayment.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 4 February 2002
	Since April 1999 the recovery of national health service charges following road traffic accidents has been undertaken centrally by the Compensation Recovery Unit (CRU) on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health. Charges are recoverable where a road traffic accident victim is treated at a NHS hospital and subsequently makes a successful claim for personal injury compensation. The CRU collects charges from insurers and pays them direct to NHS trusts when the compensation claim settles. CRU is responsible only for recovery on claims that settle on or after 5 April 1999.
	The amount of income potentially owing to NHS trusts in England for patient stays since 5 April 1999 is £71.7 million and the total amount paid to NHS trusts is £74.9 million. These figures do not represent the full amounts potentially owing or paid to NHS trusts as they relate only to patient stays since 5 April 1999. Although the CRU can only recover costs where a personal injury compensation payment settles on or after 5 April 1999, there are a large number of cases where the accident and patient's hospital treatment will have occurred before this date.

Out-patients

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2002 (ref 27681), Official Report, column 272W, what the figure would have been for (a) 1999 and (b) 2000 if the counting procedures had been corrected in those years.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 4 February 2002
	As a result of the changes in the counting procedures it would not be possible to calculate with any degree of accuracy the corrected number of out-patients waiting for treatment for 1999 and 2000.

Beta Interferon

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when a decision is expected on funding arrangements for beta interferon;
	(2)  what progress is being made on discussions with the drugs companies on the provision of beta interferon.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 5 February 2002
	I am pleased to announce that in line with the recommendation from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence we have concluded an agreement with five companies on an innovative scheme which allows patients with multiple sclerosis meeting the criteria of the Association of British Neurologists to be treated cost-effectively with disease modifying therapies on the national health service. The companies have agreed terms for the supply of their products under the scheme. Patients will be monitored to confirm whether the drugs are working. Prices will be reduced if patients do not benefit as expected.
	The scheme starts on 6 May 2002. NHS bodies are expected to fund any treatment within this scheme prescribed by clinicians for eligible patients, in accordance with statutory directions. Consultant neurologists, in consultation with patients, will have a choice of treatments within the scheme taking into account expected benefit and potential side effects. The products included in the scheme are Avonex (Biogen), Betaferon (Schering), Copaxone (Teva/Aventis), Rebif 22mg and 44mg (Serono).
	Patients whose condition does not come within the ABN guidelines and who are currently receiving treatment with these drugs will continue to do so in line with NICE's recommendation on this point. I am also taking steps to ensure that those patients who have funded their treatment privately because the drug was not available to them locally on the NHS will have the costs of their prescription met from today.
	Copies of the Health Service Circular issued to the NHS to explain the scheme have been placed in the Library.

Social Care Recruitment Campaign

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the calls to the help line and visits to the website resulted in job applications in respect of the first phase of the social care recruitment campaign announced on 19 October 2001.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 6 February 2002
	The main aim of the social care recruitment campaign is to raise the number of people applying for social work training by 5000 by 2004. As the current social work training takes two years, and the earliest that someone reacting to the campaign could join a course is autumn 2002, we would not expect the campaign to cause an increase in job applications until summer 2004 at the earliest.

Social Care Recruitment Campaign

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what outcome measures have been set for each phase of the social care recruitment campaign announced on 19 October.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 6 February 2002
	The overall aim of the social care recruitment campaign is to raise the number of people applying for social work training by 5,000 by 2004. We will monitor numbers applying for training through the figures provided by the Social Work Admissions Service. The figures for autumn 2002 (the first year to be affected by the campaign) will be publicly available in December 2002.
	The target for the first phase of the campaign (19 October 2001 to 30 November 2001) was to generate at least 9,000 calls to the help line. This target was exceeded by over 60 per cent., with over 14,000 calls to the help line as well as over 11,000 visitors to the campaign website.

Medicines Control

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statistical information is collected by the Medicines Control Agency to enable it to monitor the adverse effects associated with inappropriate use and overuse of medication.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 6 February 2002
	Reports of adverse effects to medicines are collated by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) and the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) through the spontaneous reporting scheme, the Yellow Card Scheme. Although the main focus of this scheme is the early detection of previously unrecognised adverse reactions to medicines in normal clinical use, the Yellow Card Scheme does collect reports of adverse events arising from overdose or maladministration. A number of articles have been published in the regular bulletin "Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance" to alert health professionals to concerns in relation to specific medicines.
	Guidance on the use and side effects of medicines is provided to patients in the "Patient Information Leaflet" which accompanies the medicine. The MCA and the CSM continually monitor the safety of all medicines to ensure that the product information contains appropriate and up-to-date guidance on safe, correct use at the recommended dose and warnings about side effects.

Expenditure (Somerset and Dorset)

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the expenditure by weighted head, in real terms using 2000–01 prices, by health authorities and primary care trusts in (a) Somerset and (b) Dorset for each year from 1985–86 to 2000–01; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 8 February 2002
	For the reasons set out in the notes to the table, expenditure per head cannot be reliably compared between health authorities.
	The expenditure per weighted head of population in for 1996–97 to 2000–01 in real terms is shown in the table. Data prior to 1996–97 are not comparable owing to the reorganisation of the national health service on 1 April 1996.
	
		Expenditure per weighted head in cash terms -- £
		
			   Health authority  
			  Dorset Somerset 
		
		
			 1996–97 662.77 670.89 
			 1997–98 619.23 654.16 
			 1998–99 661.42 680.07 
			 1999–2000 758.69 734.63 
			 2000–01 1,023.69 825.30 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. In many health authorities there are factors which distort the expenditure per head. These include:
	the health authority acting in a lead capacity to commission health care or fund training on behalf of other health bodies;
	asset revaluations in national health service trusts being funded through health authorities; and
	some double counting of expenditure between health authorities and primary care trust within the health authority area.
	Allocations per weighted head of population provide a much more reliable measures to identify differences between funding of health authorities.
	2. Expenditure is taken from health authority and primary care trust summarisation forms which are prepared on a resource basis and therefore differ from allocations in the year. The expenditure is the total spent by the health authority and by the primary care trusts within each health authority area. The majority of General Dental Services expenditure is not included in the health authority or primary care trust accounts and is separately accounted for by the Dental Practice Board.
	3. Health authorities and primary care trusts should account for their expenditure on a gross basis. This results in an element of double counting where one body acts as the main commissioner and is then reimbursed by other bodies. The effect of this double counting within the answer for 2000–01 cannot be identified.
	Sources:
	Health authority accounts 1996–97 to 1998–99
	Health authority summarisation forms 1999–2000 and 2000–01
	Primary Care Trust summarisation schedules 2000–01
	Weighted population estimates 1996–97 to 2000–01

Correspondence

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons he has not replied to the letter from Somerset county council, dated 29 November 2001, to his Department on social services funding; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 6 February 2002
	The Department has no record of receiving the original letter from Chris Davies, corporate director of Somerset county council. A duplicate copy of this letter was received on 1 February 2002. A reply will be sent as soon as possible.

Hospital Waiting Times (Somerset and Dorset)

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been waiting for more than (a) three months, (b) six months, (c) nine months, (d) 12 months, (e) 15 months and (f) 18 months for (i) in-patient and (b) out patient treatment in (A) Somerset and (B) Dorset health authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 6 February 2002
	The latest published information on waiting times in Somerset and Dorset health authorities is shown in the tables.
	
		Patients waiting for ordinary and day case admissions at 30 September 2001
		
			   Somerset HA Dorset HA 
		
		
			 0–5 months 8,558 8,684 
			 6–11 months 2,659 73 
			 12–17 months 406 1 
			 18 months plus 0 0 
		
	
	Source:
	Hospital in-patient waiting list statistics, England, population based: The "Yellow Book".
	
		Patients waiting for a first out-patient appointment at 30 September 2001
		
			   Somerset HA Dorset HA 
		
		
			 13–25 weeks 2,370 604 
			 26 weeks plus 818 35 
		
	
	Source:
	Waiting times for first out-patient appointment, England, population based: The "Purple Book".

NHS Appointments

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 269–70W, on NHS appointments, how many people in each year since 1996 who have been appointed to a position within the NHS have declared a political interest, broken down by political parties; and what proportion of the total number of appointees this represents for each political party.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 7 February 2002
	The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			  1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001  
			  Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % 
		
		
			 Conservative 90 7.15 18 3.14 49 3.90 30 3.51 57 4.61 71 4.14 
			 Labour 103 8.19 139 24.30 247 19.67 145 16.98 229 18.53 358 20.86 
			 Liberal Democrat 16 1.27 22 3.85 27 2.15 9 1.05 39 3.16 69 4.02 
			 Independent 5 0.40 2 0.35 7 0.56 7 0.82 9 0.73 18 1.05 
			 Other 9 0.72 2 0.35 6 0.48 3 0.35 5 0.40 8 0.47 
			 None 1,035 82.87 389 68.01 290 73.25 660 77.28 897 72.57 1,192 69.47 
			 Total 1,258 100.00 572 100.00 1,256 100.00 854 100.00 1,236 100.00 1,716 100.00

Delayed Discharges

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital beds were unavailable in each quarter in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001 to incoming patients from the Buckingham constituency as a result of their occupation by (i) delayed discharge patients who were awaiting social services funding and (ii) delayed discharge patients who had fully funded social services packages arranged.

Jacqui Smith: Information is not collected centrally in the format requested.
	Quarterly information for Buckinghamshire health authority, for patients aged 75 and over, has been placed in the Library.

Lord Mayor Treloar Hospital

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date the commencement of the demolition of Lord Mayor Treloar Hospital in Alton, Hampshire was decided; and who gave the instruction.

Hazel Blears: Demolition is currently under way on the site of the Lord Mayor Treloar Hospital. The land was sold by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to a private developer in November 2001. The demolition of existing buildings and the future development of the site is in the control of the new owner.

Departmental Savings

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the saving to public funds in (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02 is from the abolition of 14 administrative forms, referred to on page 17 of the 2001 departmental report.

John Hutton: The Department does not hold information on the savings to public funds from this measure. The 14 forms abolished were administrative forms which the Department issued in respect of applications for grants, licences, registrations etc. These forms were abolished in pursuance of Government policy to reduce regulatory burdens on business, charities and voluntary organisations including reducing the burdens of form filling where this can be done without removing the necessary controls.

Pharmacists

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure that pharmacists are represented on each of the primary care trusts when they are fully established.

Hazel Blears: Current legislation allows for the inclusion of all family health service contractors, including pharmacists, to be members of the primary care trust. Professional membership of the PCT has to reflect the services for which it is responsible.

Staff to Beds Ratio

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the ratio of administration staff to total number of beds operating in the national health service was for each of the last 10 years.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 13 November 2001
	The information requested is in the table. Comparative figures for 2001 are not yet available. Between 1996–97 and 2000–01 NHS management costs have fallen by £848 million and we remain on course to meet our manifesto commitment of £1 billion savings by 31 March 2002.
	
		
			  Administration and estates staff(19) Total daily average of NHS Beds(20) Ratio(21) 
		
		
			 1991 189,710 258,550 0.7 
			 1992 200,610 246,080 0.8 
			 1993 199,980 236,170 0.8 
			 1994 203,330 224,380 0.9 
			 1995 197,840 217,510 0.9 
			 1996 196,530 212,680 0.9 
			 1997 196,700 210,520 0.9 
			 1998 198,540 206,410 1.0 
			 1999 204,620 203,340 1.0 
			 2000 212,020 199,730 1.1 
		
	
	(19) Figures are the headcount of Administration and Estates staff collected on 30 September each year in the Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	(20) Total Daily Average of NHS beds are the overnight beds, ie beds in wards open overnight. All NHS operating beds, includes other categories of beds such as beds that are in day only wards and NHS residential care beds, which are nursing home beds managed by the NHS. Source of data is Korner return KHO3 "bed availability and occupancy".
	(21) Ratios have been rounded to one decimal point.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Child Abduction

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what discussions his Department has had with the Romanian authorities regarding abduction of children from that country;
	(2)  how many cases of children abducted from Romania have been investigated by police in the last five years;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the incidence of children abducted in Romania being brought to the UK.

Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
	The United Kingdom and Romania are both parties to the 1980 Hague convention on the civil aspects of international child abduction. In total we have received four requests for the return of children allegedly abducted from Romania, of which two are currently outstanding. Other than the liaison between the respective central authorities in relation to these cases, there have been no recent discussions between my Department and the Romanian authorities on the subject of child abduction. My Department does not have information about police investigations into alleged child abduction cases.

Wolvercote Clinic

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Wolvercote clinic will move out of Epsom by the end of March according to schedule; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 5 February 2002
	The lease on the site at Horton hospital for the Wolvercote clinic has been extended to 30 April 2002.

Drugs

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy that the unlawful possession of a significant quantity of a controlled drug should constitute prima facie evidence of intent to supply; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The intent to supply may be proved in a number of ways, for example by the circumstances, an admission, or the evidence of a witness. The quantity of the drug found is often an important consideration, but it is not always conclusive; drug dealers do not always carry large quantities. The Government and the police believe that the circumstances of the arrest are more important and that introducing a threshold would limit the effectiveness of enforcement action against drug dealers.

Arranged Marriages

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the regulations on arranged marriages.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 7 February 2002
	The immigration rules relating to marriage are applied equally to all applicants. There are no regulations which relate specifically to arranged marriages.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 23 November 2001 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mrs. F. Qamar.

David Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 6 February 2002.

Age Discrimination

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department has taken to tackle discrimination against older people.

David Blunkett: The Home Office Older Volunteers Initiative was launched in January 1999. Its aim is to improve the quality and quantity of volunteering for those aged 50 and over. £1.5 million has been committed over three years. Eighteen projects have been completed while eight are still ongoing. As part of the initiative the Home Office's Active Community Unit has produced a resource pack, "Lifelong Action", to promote good practice in attracting and retaining older volunteers. The initiative is being evaluated by a team from the University of Surrey at Roehampton and their evaluation report is due to be published and distributed by March 2002.
	Following the recommendation of the Winning the Generation Game report, the Home Office has established the Experience Corps to encourage more people aged 50 plus, specifically those aged between 50 and 65 years old, to become involved in their local community through volunteering. The Home Office is providing the Experience Corps with £19 million over three years. Formed in March 2001 and chaired by Baroness Sally Greengross, the Experience Corps is aiming to have 120,000 volunteers in place by March 2004. The company started the roll out of this initiative in the north west, north east and Yorkshire and Humberside regions in November 2001 and in the London region in January 2002. Details of the Experience Corps are at www.experiencecorps.co.uk.
	The Home Office's employment policy on discrimination is set out in our equal opportunities statement. It gives the Department's commitment that staff and job applicants will not be discriminated against on the basis of any 'irrelevant factor', which would normally include age. The statement is currently being updated.

Asylum Seekers

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost has been to Government Departments of airline tickets for the deportation of failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 16 January 2002
	For the period 1 January to 31 December 2001 £162,868 was spent on public expense removals to Harare. This figure includes the cost of any escorts that might have been needed. The following figures cover asylum and non- asylum removals:
	
		
			 Month £ 
		
		
			 January 5,283 
			 February 7,815 
			 March 9,056 
			 April 9,691 
			 May 10,703 
			 June 11,584 
			 July 15,371 
			 August 9,260 
			 September 21,031 
			 October 19,644 
			 November 10,524 
			 December 32,906 
		
	
	Records do not differentiate between asylum and non-asylum removals.
	Where we can identify the inbound carrier the cost of removal will fall to be met by the company responsible for bringing the person to the United Kingdom.

Arthur Andersen

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what dates since 7 June 2001 (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in his Department have met employees of (i) Andersen and (ii) Accenture on official business; and if he will make a statement.

David Blunkett: Home Office Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and analysis. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the ministerial code, the civil service code and guidance for civil servants: Contacts with Lobbyists.
	Some of these discussions take place on a confidential basis, and in order to preserve confidentiality, it is not the normal practice of Governments to release details of specific meetings with private individuals or companies.

Police

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if police officers in areas other than London receive (a) an additional allowance and (b) weighting allowance.

John Denham: holding answer 4 February 2002
	Following a recommendation by the Police Negotiating Board (PNB), the statutory regulating body for police pay and conditions, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, while Home Secretary, approved an allowance for officers in eight forces surrounding London who were appointed on or after 1 September 1994 and are not in receipt of housing allowance. The allowance was awarded in recognition of the recruitment and retention problems associated with the higher cost of living in the south-east.
	Qualifying officers in Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Thames Valley receive an additional £2,000 a year, while qualifying officers in Bedfordshire, Hampshire and Sussex receive an additional £1,000 a year.
	Police officers in London receive London weighting of £1,773 a year. Police officers in areas other than London do not receive a weighting allowance.

North London Mosque

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what search warrants have been (a) requested and (b) executed relating to a North London Mosque in the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

David Blunkett: I am informed by the Metropolitan police that no search warrants have been executed in respect of the North London Central Mosque in the last two years. I am aware that there are at least 75 mosques in north London and the information requested could be obtained only in respect of every mosque at disproportionate cost. Records of search warrants requested are not held centrally.

Departmental Entertainment

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department (a) budgeted to spend and (b) spent in each of the last six years on entertaining; and if he will break down these figures into categories.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 6 February 2002
	The Department has spent in 1996–97 to 2001–02 the following amounts on entertaining official visitors and guests:
	
		
			 Financial years  Expenditure (£) 
		
		
			 1996–97 58,346 
			 1997–98 67,459 
			 1998–99 84,468 
			 1999–2000 77,822 
			 2000–01 143,269 
			 2001–02 (22)54,106 
		
	
	(22) To end January
	The figures for 2001–02 exclude the Fire and Emergency Planning Directorate and the Fire Service College as responsibility for fire and emergency planning transferred to the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) and the Cabinet Office respectively as part of Machinery of Government charges.

Race Hatred

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the enforcement of the law on incitement to race hatred.

Angela Eagle: The enforcement of the law on the incitement to racial hatred is an operational matter for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service. The Government, while not involved in individual cases, have urged the police and the CPS to work more closely together on these cases and to pool experience relating to the sometimes complex issues surrounding incitement to racial hatred.
	The Government have also strengthened the law on incitement to racial hatred. The Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 extended the scope of the offences to hatred directed against members of racial groups outside Great Britain and increased the maximum penalty for the offences from two to seven years imprisonment.